Etymograph

English

peril

Peril comes from Latin perīculum ‘risk, hazard, danger, peril’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperīculum‘risk, hazard, danger, peril’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400peril
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a location where danger, risk, or peril is present or likely’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1830same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperīculum‘risk, hazard, danger, peril’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400peril
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a location where danger, risk, or peril is present or likely’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1830same form

Earliest quotation: 1830, Robert Hayne: “And are we, Mr. President, who stood by our…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, support, far, report, press, further, practice, fear, opportunity, private, pre, price, appreciate, port, per, primary, afford, pregnant, prior, prime, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, prize, parade, par, interpretation, pirate, fare, porch, pardon, privilege, ferry, primitive, pragmatic, proton, prix, 158 more

through Latin perīculum ‘risk, hazard, danger, peril’

meticulous, 6 more

Today it means

noun A situation of serious and immediate danger.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin perīculum / peril

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