English word origin

Etymology of parch

From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To burn the surface of, to scorch. · To roast, as dry grain. · To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat. · To be very thirsty.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionparchenenm

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "parchen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English parchen"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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    ],
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      "paarchen#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "perchen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Antigua and Barbuda Creole English",
      "lang_code": "aig",
      "word": "paach",
      "raw_tags": [
        "inherited",
        "inherited"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To burn the surface of, to scorch.",
        "To roast, as dry grain.",
        "To dry to extremity; to shrivel with heat.",
        "To be very thirsty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "colloquial",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 202530
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  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

The condition of being parched.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English parchen, paarchen (“to parch; dry; roast”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant of Middle English perchen (“to roast”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionparchenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "parchen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English parchen"
    }
  ],
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    ],
    [
      "paarchen",
      "paarchen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "perchen",
      "perchen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The condition of being parched."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "dd59bcb760eda0486bbc3d200f95d7c5312bf80af81755d4174d34ed9bfffbcc",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for parch →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-cGFyY2g