impotentia

Impotentia is a Latin term that historically referred to a lack of power or ability. In a legal context, particularly in historical English law, it described a condition where a person was legally incapable of performing certain actions or holding certain rights due to a physical or mental impediment. This could include a man's inability to perform the feudal duties of knighthood or to participate in legal proceedings. The concept was not necessarily about a medical condition as understood today, but rather about a legal status of helplessness or inability to act.

In more modern, though still historical, usage, the term impotentia was often used interchangeably with impotence, referring to a man's inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. This medical understanding is largely superseded by the term erectile dysfunction (ED). The historical use of impotentia in this context often carried significant social and personal stigma. It's important to distinguish between the broader legal meaning of impotentia and its later, more specific medical connotation. The legal concept has largely fallen out of use with the evolution of legal systems, while the medical term has been replaced by more precise and sensitive terminology.