Where does “perhaps” come from?
Perhaps comes from Middle English perchance, from per- (by) and chaunce (chance), ultimately from Old French chaunce meaning an occurrence or event.
perhaps (English): Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty;...
Definitions
- Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty;...
Ancestry of “perhaps”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | perhap | — |
| 2 | Albanian | për- | trans- |
| 3 | Albanian | për | for; API; per |
| 4 | Albanian | një | one; a |
| 5 | Albanian | herë | time; an instant of time, instance; multiplied... |
| 6 | Latin | hōra | hour |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ὥρα | any defined period of time; season; climate |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | *worā | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |