"P" Word Origins

permanent

Latin

From Latin permanens, from permanere ("to stay through, endure").

permanently

Origin

From permanent + -ly.

permanganate

Origin

From per- + manganate.

permeable

Origin

From Middle English permeable, permiable, from Latin permeābilis.

permeate

Origin

First attested in 1656; borrowed from Latin permeātus, perfect passive participle of permeō (“to pass through”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Permian

Russian

Named after Perm, the Russian region where the rock layers of this era were first studied.

permillage

Origin

By surface analysis, permille + -age.

permissible

Latin

From Old French permissible, ultimately from Latin permittere ("to allow").

permissibleness

Origin

From permissible + -ness.

permission

Latin

From Latin permissio, from permittere ("to allow").

permissive

Origin

From French permissif.

permit

Latin

From Latin permittere ("to let go through"), from per- ("through") + mittere ("to send").

permutation

Origin

From Middle English permutacioun, permutacyoun, from Old French permutacïon, promutatïon and Medieval Latin permūtātiōnem, accusative of permūtātiō. Morphologically permute + -ation.

pernicious

Latin

From Latin perniciosus ("destructive"), from pernicies ("ruin, death").

pernickety

Origin

From Scots pernickety, persnickety, apparently from per- + nick (“a notch, mark, cutting retort”) + -et (“-ed”) + -y; equivalent to English per- + nick + -ety; literally, “marked up”, then “overly precise”. The alternative form persnickety, with s, may be due to substitution of Scots sneck (“a cut, notch”) for nick. Compare also Scots variants pernicked, pernicket, pirnicky, and pernicky.

Pernod

Origin

Named after Henri-Louis Pernod, the Swiss distiller who founded the brand.

Peron

Origin

Borrowed from either Spanish Perón or French Péron.

peroneal

Origin

From perona or peroneus + -al.

perovskite

Origin

From Perovski + -ite. Named for Russian mineralogist L. A. Perovski (1792-1856) in 1839.

peroxide

Origin

From per- ("thoroughly") + oxide, describing a compound with extra oxygen atoms.

perp

Origin

A clipped form of "perpetrator," first popular in police and crime-show slang.

perpendicular

Latin

From Latin perpendiculum, "a plumb line," the weighted string builders used to check for a true vertical.

perpetrate

Origin

From Middle English perpetrat (“committed, perpetrated”), from Latin perpetrātus, past participle of perpetrāre (“to carry through”).

perpetrator

Latin

From Latin perpetrator, someone who "carries something through" or accomplishes an act — from per- ("thoroughly") + patrare ("to bring about").

perpetuable

Origin

From perpetuate + -able.

perpetual

Latin

From Latin perpetuus, "continuing throughout," built from per- ("through") and a root meaning "to seek" or "make for."

perpetualism

Origin

From perpetual + -ism.

perpetualist

Origin

From perpetual + -ist.

perpetuality

Origin

From perpetual + -ity.

perpetually

Middle English

From Middle English perpetuelly; equivalent to perpetual + -ly.

perpetualness

Origin

From perpetual + -ness.

perpetuate

Latin

From Latin perpetuare, "to make continue without interruption," from perpetuus ("perpetual").

perpetuity

Latin

From Latin perpetuitas, "continuance," from perpetuus ("perpetual").

perplex

Origin

From Old French, from Latin perplexus (“entangled, confused”), from per (“through”) + plexus, perfect passive participle of plectō (“plait, weave, braid”).

perplexity

Origin

From Middle English perplexite, borrowed from Middle French perplexité or post-classical Latin perplexitās, from perplexus (“entangled”). By surface analysis, perplex + -ity.

perquisite

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin perquīsītum (“something acquired for profit”).

perrier

Origin

Old French perriere, perrier, French perrière, pierrier. Compare pederero.

Perrin

Origin

From a Middle English pet-form of Peter, from an Old French diminutive of Pierre.

perry

Latin

From Old French peré, ultimately from Latin pirum, "pear."

persecute

Latin

From Latin persequi, "to pursue relentlessly," from per- ("through") + sequi ("to follow").

persecution

Latin

From Old French persecucion, ultimately from Latin persequi ("to pursue").

persecutor

Origin

From Middle English persecutour, from Old French persecutor and Latin persecūtor. Displaced native Old English ēhtere.

Persephone

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Περσεφόνη (Persephónē).

Perseus

Latin

From Latin Perseus, from Ancient Greek Περσεύς (Perseús).

perseverance

Latin

From Latin perseverantia, "steadfastness," from perseverare ("to persist").

perseverant

Origin

From Middle English perseveraunt, from Middle French perseverant, from Latin persevērāns, present participle of persevērō.

perseverate

Origin

Back-formation from perseveration. Doublet of persevere.

persevere

Latin

From Latin perseverare, "to continue steadfastly," from per- ("thoroughly") + severus ("strict, serious").