▁meaning ▁a ▁powerful ▁or ▁absolute ▁master , ▁while ▁others ▁derived ▁it ▁from ▁pot is ▁fac ere ▁in ▁the ▁sense ▁of ▁" able ▁to ▁sacrifice ". ▁The ▁last ▁deriv ation ▁is ▁mentioned ▁also ▁by ▁Var ro , ▁who ▁rejected ▁it , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁view ▁of ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁Quint us ▁S ca e vol a . ▁O thers ▁have ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁word ▁was ▁originally ▁pom p if ex ▁( le ader ▁of ▁public ▁process ions ). ▁The ▁word ▁p ons ▁originally ▁meant ▁" way " ▁and ▁pont if ex ▁would ▁thus ▁mean ▁" maker ▁of ▁roads ▁and ▁brid ges ". ▁ ▁Another ▁opinion ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁word ▁is ▁a ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁a ▁similar - s ounding ▁but ▁et ym olog ically ▁un related ▁E tr us can ▁word . ▁Yet ▁another ▁hypothesis ▁cons iders ▁the ▁word ▁as ▁a ▁loan ▁from ▁the ▁Sab ine ▁language , ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁would ▁mean ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁college ▁of ▁five , ▁from ▁Os co - U mb rian ▁p onte , ▁five . ▁This ▁explanation ▁takes ▁into ▁account ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁college ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁Sab ine ▁king ▁N uma ▁Pom p il ius ▁and ▁the ▁institution ▁is ▁Ital ic : ▁the ▁expressions ▁pont is ▁and ▁pom per ias ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁I gu v ine ▁Table ts ▁may ▁denote ▁a ▁group ▁or ▁division ▁of ▁five ▁or ▁by ▁five . ▁The ▁pont if ex ▁would ▁th ence ▁be ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁sacrific ial ▁college ▁known ▁as ▁pom per ia