Scientia potentia est phrase ""sapientia est potentia"" is often translated as "wisdom is power". The earliest documented occurrence of the phrase "Knowledge is power" is from Imam Ali (599-661 CE), as recorded in the tenth-century book Nahj Al-Balagha (originally in Arabic). He said: Another account of this concept is found in the Shahnameh by the Persian poet Ferdowsi (940–1020 CE) who wrote: "Capable is he who is wise" (in Persian: توانا بود هر که دانا بود). This hemistich is translated to English as "knowledge is power" or "One who has wisdom is powerful". A proverb in practically the same wording is found in
Latin influence in English already existed, and this caused enrichment of the Old English vocabulary: "culcer" and "læfel" "spoon" from Latin "coclearium" and "labellum" beside Old English "spōn" and "hlædel" (Modern English "ladle"); Old English "forca" from Latin "furca" "fork" next to Old English "gafol"; Old English "scamol" "chair, stool" from Latin "scamellum" beside native "stōl", "benc" and "setl". All told, approximately 600 words were borrowed from Latin during the Old English period. Often, the Latin word was severely restricted in sense, and was not widespread in use among the general populace. Latin words tended to be literary or scholarly terms and were not