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péril

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Etymology and origin of the French word péril

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
c. 980 Jonas (Fragment de Valenciennes) More words from the 10th century
Inherited from
Latin periculum via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin periculum
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin perīculum
French péril
Spanish peligro
Italian pericolo
Romanian pericol
From the same root
Latin perīclitor ← perīculum
Latin perīculōsus ← perīculum

Pronunciation

Forms

péril m (plural périls)[1] Old French peril, also pril (about 1190–1370).[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French peril, inherited from Latin perīculum (“trial, experiment, risk, danger”).[3][2][4] Wiktionary gives the syncopated Vulgar Latin form *periclum;[1] Bloch and Wartburg treat the word as borrowed, since its modern pronunciation with ⟨é⟩ and a plain /l/ comes from the spelling, where the old word had a palatal /ʎ/, still recommended by Littré.[5][6] The GLLF notes that it was first pronounced [p(ə)ri].[7]

The Latin noun is derived from an unused verb *perior (“to try”), early replaced by experior, from a root Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go forward, pass into”), also seen in Ancient Greek πεῖρα (peîra, “trial, attempt”).[3][4] Rey compares Old High German fāra (“danger”).[4]

Cognate with Romanian pericol, Italian pericolo, Catalan perill, Spanish peligro and Portuguese perigo.[8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 980 in the Jonas fragment of Valenciennes: Sic liberat de cel peril (“so he frees him from that peril”).[6][3] The GLLF and the Grand Robert give this first use the sense “misfortune, disaster”.[7][9]

Semantic evolution

In Old French it also meant a storm at sea, a misfortune, the news of a disaster and the risk something brings (1080), and was used in peril d'enfant “childbirth” and au peril de “in the power of”.[4] Chrétien de Troyes has sor le peril de s'ame, at the risk of one's salvation (1176–1181).[3]

Only the original sense has lasted, now literary, danger being the everyday word.[4] It lives on in set phrases: au péril de sa vie (1640), il y a péril en la demeure (1835, after an earlier form in 1690), where demeure “delay” is no longer understood, and à ses risques et périls, which continues à ses périls et fortune (1465).[4] English peril (about 1200) comes from the Old French word.[10]

Timeline

  • c. 980 – Peril in the Jonas fragment.[3][6]
  • 1080 – The Chanson de Roland has the word for danger.[7][9]
  • 1176–1181 – Sor le peril de s'ame in Chrétien de Troyes.[3]
  • 1461 – Villon writes a mes perilz, at my own risk.[3]
  • 1690 – Furetière records aux risques, perils et fortunes.[3]
  • 1807 – À ses risques et périls in the Code de commerce.[7]
  • 1835 – Il y a péril en la demeure takes its present form.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (literary) A state of great danger, a threat to someone's safety or existence: être en péril, hors de péril.[8][3][11]
  2. A particular danger, especially in the plural: les périls de la mer.[11][7]
  3. A danger from an invasion or foreign domination: le péril jaune.[11]
  4. (law) Arrêté de péril: a municipal order to evacuate a building in danger of collapse.[11][7]

Word family

  • périlleux
  • périlleusement

Usage notes

Au péril de sa vie means at the risk of one's life, à ses risques et périls at one's own risk, and il y a péril en la demeure that delay is dangerous.[8][12][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 242a
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  10. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  11. ^ a b c d Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
  12. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Péril.” Etymologically, 11 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/p%C3%A9ril. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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