Where does “perl” come from?
perl (Danish) comes from Danish perle, from Old Norse perla, from Middle Low German perle, from Old Saxon perula, from Medieval Latin perla, from Latin perna, from Proto-Italic persnā, from Proto-Indo-European tpḗrsneh₂ — to kick.
perl (Danish): imperative of perle
Ancestry of “perl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | perle | pearl; bead; drop |
| 2 | Old Norse | perla | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | perle | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | perula | — |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | perla | — |
| 6 | Latin | perna | A haunch or ham together with the leg, gammon; A... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | persnā | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | tpḗrsneh₂ | heel, upper thigh |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sperH- | to kick |