Where does “perplex” come from?
Perplex comes from Latin perplexus, from Latin plectere meaning to twist or braid, influenced by Proto-Indo-European per- and pel- roots meaning to twist.
perplex (English): To cause to feel baffled; to puzzle; To involve;...
Definitions
- To cause to feel baffled; to puzzle; To involve;...
Ancestry of “perplex”, step by step
perplex traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin perplexus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | perplexus | entangled, involved, intricate, confused;... |
| 2 | Latin | plectere | present active infinitive of plectō;... |
| 3 | Latin | plecto | I plait, weave, braid; I twist, bend, turn; I... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | plektō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pleḱ- | to fold, plait, weave |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |
via Old French Old French
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | Old French | — |
| 2 | Galician | tilla | wedge used to reinforce the union of the wheel... |
| 3 | Classical Persian | طلا | — |