Where does “perilous” come from?
Perilous comes from Middle English perilous, from Old French perilleus, from Latin periculosus, an adjective formed with the suffix -osus from Latin periculum meaning danger or risk.
perilous (English): Dangerous, full of peril
Definitions
- Dangerous, full of peril
Ancestry of “perilous”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | perilous | Full of danger or peril; dangerous, harmful,... |
| 2 | Old French | perilleus | perilous; very dangerous |
| 3 | Latin | periculosus | dangerous, hazardous, perilous |
| 4 | Latin | -ōsus | ose, -ous, -ful (full of or overly prone to) |
| 5 | Old Latin | -ōssus | — |