Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “perk” come from?

Perk is a shortening of English percolator, which derives from Latin percolo, itself from Latin colo meaning to strain or filter, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-.

perk (English): Perquisite; A bonus ability that a player...

Definitions

  1. Perquisite; A bonus ability that a player...

Ancestry of “perk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpercolateTo pass a liquid through a porous substance; to...
2Latinpercolatusstrained through, filtered through, percolated
3Latinpercōlō—
4Latincolō—
5Latinquelō—
6Proto-Italickʷelō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

Words derived from “perk”

  • perky
  • perkily
  • perkiness
  • unperk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel- →