Early 16th century (in an earlier sense). Origin uncertain. Perhaps from posset + -y. Forms of the type powsowdy are found earliest in sense 2, and in this sense perhaps show alteration after (or even independent derivation from) poll and sowdy (although this is itself of very uncertain origin, and may show simply a shortening of the present word). However, if this is the explanation for the forms in sense 2, the spread of these forms also to English regional use in sense 1b would be difficult to account for.