English
perfect
Perfect comes from Middle English perfit, from Old French parfit, from Latin perfectus ‘finished’, participle of perficiō ‘to finish’ (per- + faciō ‘to do’).
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōas facere‘to do, to make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEperficiō‘to finish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEperfectus‘finished, complete’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parfit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perfit
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599perfect
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō‘to make’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōas facere‘to do, to make’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEperficiō‘to finish’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEperfectus‘finished, complete’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400parfit
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perfit
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1599perfect
Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.: “Our Battaile is more full of Names then yours,…”
The story
The spelling was modified in the 15th century to conform to its Latin etymon.
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
affectionate, putrefaction, 65 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
factor, difficulty, effectively, manufacture, interface, effectiveness, faction, affection, ineffective, facet, affective, defection, deface, defector, effector, affectation, confectionary, 67 more
through Latin faciō ‘to do, to make’
face, fact, difficult, profit, feature, facility, efficient, effective, effect, faculty, affair, sacrifice, facial, deficit, facilitate, affect, infection, feat, efficacy, facade, fetish, deficient, superficial, defect, facsimile, façade, counterfeit, hacienda, maleficent, infect, aficionado, efficacious, beautify, facies, difficile, parfait, confit, beneficent, confection, imperfection, 85 more
Today it means
adj Fitting its definition precisely.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / perfect