Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “perfunctorily” come from?

Perfunctorily derives from Middle English -ly added to Latin perfunctor, from Latin fungor meaning "to perform," which traces through Proto-Indo-European roots bʰewg-, līg-, and ḱóm.

perfunctorily (English): In a perfunctory manner, without interest or...

Definitions

  1. In a perfunctory manner, without interest or...

Ancestry of “perfunctorily”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishperfunctoryDone only to fulfil a duty, or in a careless or...
2Latinperfunctōrius—
3LatinperfungorI fulfil, perform, discharge; I undergo, endure
4Latinperthrough, by means of; throughout, during
5LatinAd—
6Latinilliche, she, it, yonder, that, overthere; in that...
7Latinillethat; those; "; demonstrative pronoun "; that...
8LatinolleArchaic form of ille
9Proto-Italic*olnos—
Every word from Proto-Italic *olnos →