Pontifex maximus pointed out that the term existed before there were any bridges in Rome and derived the word from Old Latin "pontis" (sic) meaning a powerful or absolute master, while others derived it from "potis facere" in the sense of "able to sacrifice". The last derivation is mentioned also by Varro, who rejected it, but it was the view of Pontifex Maximus Quintus Scaevola. Others have held that the word was originally "pompifex" (leader of public processions). The word "pons" originally meant "way" and "pontifex" would thus mean "maker of roads and bridges". Another opinion is that the word is a
Latin word order nuances of meaning and emphasis. As the authors of "Latin Word Order", Devine and Stephens, put it: "Word order is not a subject which anyone reading Latin can afford to ignore. ... Reading a paragraph of Latin without attention to word order entails losing access to a whole dimension of meaning." One important advantage of studying word order in Latin is that it helps the reader to understand the author's meaning more clearly. Thus for example "complosit Trimalchio manus" doesn't merely mean "Trimalchio clapped his hands", but the initial verb implies a sudden action: "Trimalchio suddenly clapped his hands". In