perfectamente

Etymology

It is formed from Spanish perfecto + -mente.^[1][2][3] The adjective is from Latin perfectus, the past participle of perficiō (“to complete, perfect”), itself from faciō (“to do, make”); it is recorded since Berceo, often in the spelling ⟨perfeto⟩ to the 17th century.^[4][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The CDH's first hit is in the Calila e Dimna (1251, in a copy of the late 14th or early 15th century): el que se trabajara de demandar el saber perfetamente “he who strives to seek knowledge perfectly”.^[7] The first hit without a later copy is in the Spanish version of the Council of Coyanza (before 1300), where the Trinity is signified perfetamientre by the host, the wine and the water.^[7]

Semantic evolution

Nebrija's Latin–Spanish dictionary of 1492 already glosses Latin exacte with perfecta mente, written as two words.^[6] The Diccionario de Autoridades defines the adverb as “completely, without fault, with perfection, polish or care”, and the Academy kept that definition through the 19th century.^[8][9] Domínguez (1846) notes that it is often used as an interjection meaning “very well, just as one could wish”.^[10] The Academy's 2001 edition records this answer of assent as a sense of its own.^[11]

Today the adverb also serves as an intensifier, “fully, very”, before adjectives and verbs (sabe perfectamente “he knows full well”).^[12][13] Ramos y Duarte recorded the use before malo or falso (“completely bad, completely false”) in Tamaulipas.^[14]

Timeline

• 1251 – perfetamente in the Calila e Dimna (in a later copy).^[7]
• 13th century – perfechamientre in the Cortes of León and Castile.^[15]
• before 1300 – perfetamientre in the Spanish version of the Council of Coyanza.^[7]
• 1492 – Nebrija glosses Latin exacte with perfecta mente.^[6]
• 1603 – first record from the Americas, in Buenos Aires.^[16]
• 1726–1739 – the Diccionario de Autoridades defines it.^[8]
• 1846 – Domínguez notes its use as an interjection.^[10]
• 2001 – the Academy records the sense of assent.^[11]

Meanings

Adverb

1. perfectly: in a perfect way, without fault: Toca el piano perfectamente.^[17][1]
2. Fully, very well; used as an intensifier: Sabías perfectamente lo que pasaba.^[12][13]
3. Used as a reply to show agreement or that one has understood: “all right”.^[17][12]

Related words

• perfecto
• perfección
• imperfecto
• Latin perfectus
• Portuguese perfeitamente
• Italian perfettamente

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ Wikcionario (Spanish Wiktionary), es.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. perfectamente
3. ^ Barcia, Roque (1880–1883), Primer diccionario general etimológico de la lengua española, 5 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Tipográfico de Álvarez Hermanos, p. 180
4. ^ Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 1, 64
5. ^ Corominas, Joan (1973), Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. perfecto
6. ^ a b c Lleal, Coloma (dir.), DICCA-XV: Diccionario del castellano del siglo XV en la Corona de Aragón, Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona, Grup d'Estudis d'Història de la Llengua (GHCL), https://ghcl.ub.edu/diccaxv, p. s.v. perfectamente
7. ^ a b c d Real Academia Española (2013–), Corpus del Diccionario histórico de la lengua española (CDH), version 3.1, https://apps.rae.es/CNDHE, p. s.v. perfectamente
8. ^ a b Real Academia Española (1726–1739), Diccionario de la lengua castellana (Diccionario de Autoridades), 6 vols., Madrid: Francisco del Hierro, p. 5, 221
9. ^ Real Academia Española (1884), Diccionario de la lengua castellana, 12th ed., Madrid: Imprenta de D. Gregorio Hernando (the first Academy edition with etymologies), p. 815
10. ^ a b Domínguez, Ramón Joaquín (1846–1847), Diccionario nacional o gran diccionario clásico de la lengua española, 2 vols., Madrid: Establecimiento Léxico-Tipográfico de R. J. Domínguez, p. 2, 1360
11. ^ a b Real Academia Española (2001), Diccionario de la lengua española, 22nd ed., Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, p. s.v. perfectamente
12. ^ a b c Moliner, María (2007), Diccionario de uso del español, 3rd ed., Madrid: Gredos, p. s.v. perfectamente
13. ^ a b Battaner Arias, Paz (dir.) (2017), Diccionario general de la lengua española VOX, Barcelona: Larousse Editorial, p. s.v. perfectamente
14. ^ Ramos y Duarte, Félix (1895), Diccionario de mejicanismos, México: Imprenta de Eduardo Dublán, p. 400
15. ^ Diccionario del Español Medieval electrónico (DEMel), data publication 2026 (CC BY-SA), Universität Rostock, p. s.v. perfectamente
16. ^ Boyd-Bowman, Peter (2003), Léxico hispanoamericano 1493–1993, ed. Ray Harris-Northall and John J. Nitti, New York: Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies, p. s.v. perfectamente
17. ^ a b Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. perfectamente