DictionaryRoot: petere
Latin
petere
seek, aim at; request
Forms
- pet-
- petit- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘sought’ or ‘requested.’
Origin
Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *pet-, ‘fly; rush.’
Note
An older sense of rushing toward something developed into seeking it.
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noun
competence
KAHM-pih-tuns/ˈkɑːmpɪtəns/
The ability or knowledge needed to do something well.
Etymology
The elements meaning “together” and “seek” formed a verb that also meant “come together” or “be fitting.” Competence follows that fittingness sense: sufficiency developed into having enough ability to handle the task at hand.