*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of per-

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Italic *per Latin perbor. Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Proto-Italic *peri- Latin per-bor. English per- Borrowed

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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
prefix

In verbs: denoting the sense "through", as in perforate. · In verbs: denoting the sense "thoroughly", as in perfect. · In verbs: denoting the sense "to destruction", as in pervert. · In adjectives and adverbs: denoting the sense "extremely", as in perfervid.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Italic *per Latin perbor. Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Proto-Italic *peri- Latin per-bor. English per- Borrowed from Latin per and per-.

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": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor<conj:and>",
        "3": "la:per",
        "4": "la:per-",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+",
        "id": "through"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Italic *per\nLatin perbor.\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.\nProto-Italic *peri-\nLatin per-bor.\nEnglish per-\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"fare\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pér\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*per\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"per\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"before\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"ine-pro\", \"id\" : \"before\", \"pos\" : \"root\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*peri-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"per-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"per-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"through\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"per-\" id=\"English:_through\">\nBorrowed from Latin per and per-."
    },
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        "2": ":bor<conj:and>",
        "3": "la:per",
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        "tree": "1",
        "text": "+",
        "id": "through"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Italic *per\nLatin perbor.\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.\nProto-Italic *peri-\nLatin per-bor.\nEnglish per-\nBorrowed from Latin per and per-."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_before"
    ],
    [
      "*per-",
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    ],
    [
      "*pér",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pér"
    ],
    [
      "*per",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/per"
    ],
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      "per",
      "per#Latin"
    ],
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      "*per-",
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    ],
    [
      "*peri-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/peri-"
    ],
    [
      "per-",
      "per-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "per",
      "per#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "per-",
      "per-#Latin"
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  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "prefix",
      "glosses": [
        "In verbs: denoting the sense \"through\", as in perforate.",
        "In verbs: denoting the sense \"thoroughly\", as in perfect.",
        "In verbs: denoting the sense \"to destruction\", as in pervert.",
        "In adjectives and adverbs: denoting the sense \"extremely\", as in perfervid."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "403f469fe57d15647c619ada2dfdf80005cb2b5780105c7fb2106b3ac44cb838",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 435601
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
prefix

Denoting the sense "by" or "per", as in perchance or perhaps.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Italic *per Latin per Old French parbor. Middle English per- English per- Inherited from Middle English per-.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:per-",
        "id": "by",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Italic *per\nLatin per\nOld French parbor.\nMiddle English per-\nEnglish per-\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"fare\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*pér\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*per\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"per\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"par\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"per-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"per-\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"by\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"per-\" id=\"English:_by\">\nInherited from Middle English per-."
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *per-der.?\nProto-Indo-European *pér\nProto-Italic *per\nLatin per\nOld French parbor.\nMiddle English per-\nEnglish per-\nInherited from Middle English per-."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_before"
    ],
    [
      "*per-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/per-#Proto-Indo-European:_fare"
    ],
    [
      "*pér",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pér"
    ],
    [
      "*per",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/per"
    ],
    [
      "per",
      "per#Latin"
    ],
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      "par",
      "par#Old_French"
    ],
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      "per-",
      "per-#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "per-",
      "per-#Middle_English"
    ]
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      "pos": "prefix",
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        "Denoting the sense \"by\" or \"per\", as in perchance or perhaps."
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        "morpheme"
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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 per- →

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-cGVyLQ