Where does “per” come from?
per (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman peir, from Old French per, from Latin pār, from Proto-Indo-European perH-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
per (Middle English): Alternative form of pere
Ancestry of “per”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | peir | — |
| 2 | Old French | per | by; equal |
| 3 | Latin | pār | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | perH- | to fly; fore, first; exchange |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |