▁that ▁this ▁definition ▁is ▁a ▁folk ▁et ym ology ▁for ▁an ▁E tr us can ▁term , ▁since ▁Roman ▁religion ▁was ▁heavily ▁influenced ▁by ▁E tr us can ▁religion , ▁and ▁very ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁the ▁E tr us can ▁language , ▁which ▁is ▁not ▁Ind o - Europe an . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁common ▁interpretation , ▁the ▁term ▁pont if ex ▁means ▁" bridge - builder " ▁( p ons ▁+ ▁fac ere ); ▁" maxim us " ▁means ▁" gre at est ". ▁This ▁was ▁perhaps ▁originally ▁meant ▁in ▁a ▁literal ▁sense : ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁bridge - builder ▁was ▁indeed ▁an ▁important ▁one ▁in ▁Rome , ▁where ▁the ▁major ▁brid ges ▁were ▁over ▁the ▁T iber , ▁the ▁sacred ▁river ▁( and ▁a ▁de ity ): ▁only ▁pr estig ious ▁authorities ▁with ▁sac ral ▁functions ▁could ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁" dist urb " ▁it ▁with ▁mechanical ▁add itions . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁always ▁understood ▁in ▁its ▁symbol ic ▁sense ▁as ▁well : ▁the ▁pont ific es ▁were ▁the ▁ones ▁who ▁smooth ed ▁the ▁" bridge " ▁between ▁gods ▁and ▁men . ▁ ▁The ▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁pont if ex ▁as ▁" bridge - builder " ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁D ion ys ius ▁of ▁Hal ic arn ass us ▁and ▁Marcus ▁Ter ent ius ▁Var ro . ▁Pl ut arch ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁the ▁term ▁existed ▁before ▁there ▁were ▁any ▁brid ges ▁in ▁Rome ▁and ▁derived ▁the ▁word ▁from ▁Old ▁Latin ▁pont is ▁( s ic )