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périlleux

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Etymology and origin of the French word périlleux

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
1155 Wace, Roman de Brut More words from the 12th century
Inherited from
Latin periculosus via Old French
Ultimate origin
Latin perīculum
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin perīculum
Catalan perill
French péril
Spanish peligro
Italian pericolo
Romanian pericol
Latin perīculōsus
French périlleux
Spanish peligroso
Italian pericoloso
Romanian periculos
From the same root
Latin perīclitor ← perīculum
Latin perīculōsē ← perīculōsus

Pronunciation

  • /pe.ʁi.jø/[1]

Forms

périlleux (feminine périlleuse, masculine plural périlleux, feminine plural périlleuses)[1] Old French perillus, perillos and perilleus;[2][3] périlleux from about 1360.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French perilleus, inherited from Latin perīculōsus (“dangerous”), from perīculum (“danger”).[2][4][5][1] Its development followed that of péril;[5] the GLLF and the Grand Robert describe it as formed on the noun after the Latin word.[3][6] Wiktionary suggests a contracted Vulgar Latin form *periclosus.[1] Cognate with Italian periglioso, Old Occitan perilhos, Spanish peligroso and Portuguese perigoso.[5][7] périculeux is a learned doublet made on the stem of the Latin word.[1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found as perillus in Wace's Roman de Brut (1155), meaning dangerous.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

The word has kept its sense; it is used of concrete and abstract things alike, while its use of a person is rarer and literary.[4] Littré also records an old sense “who braves dangers”, and a 15th-century use of it for daring men in Froissart.[7] In sport saut périlleux is a somersault.[4][8] English borrowed the Old French form as perilous around 1300.[9]

Timeline

  • 1155 – Wace writes perillus.[2][4]
  • mid-12th century – Perillos in the Roman de Thèbes.[3]
  • c. 1175 – Chrétien de Troyes writes perilleus.[3][6]
  • 1220 – The adverb perillosement is recorded.[4]
  • c. 1300 – English borrows perilous.[9]
  • c. 1360 – Froissart writes périlleux.[3][6]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (literary) Full of danger or risk, hazardous: une traversée périlleuse.[8][2][1]
  2. Saut périlleux: a somersault in which the body turns a full circle in the air.[8][4]
  3. (dated) Daring, braving dangers (of a person).[7]

Word family

  • périlleusement

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Périlleux.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/p%C3%A9rilleux. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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