Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “perniciously” come from?

perniciously (English) comes from English pernicious, from Old French pernicios, from French pernicieux, from Latin perniciōsus, from Latin perniciēs, from Latin pernecō, from Latin necō, from Latin nex — to perish, disappear.

perniciously (English): In a pernicious manner

Definitions

  1. In a pernicious manner

Ancestry of “perniciously”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishperniciousCausing much harm in a subtle way; Causing death...
2Old Frenchpernicios—
3FrenchpernicieuxInsidious. Having a slow and discreet, but...
4Latinperniciōsus—
5Latinperniciēs—
6Latinpernecō—
7Latinnecō—
8Latinnexmurder, slaughter, killing; violent death
9Proto-Italicneksdeath, slaughter
10Proto-Indo-Europeanneḱsdeath
11Proto-Indo-Europeanneḱ-to perish, disappear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neḱ- →