périr

Forms

périr^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French perir, inherited from Latin pereō (“to pass away, perish”),^[2][3][4][1] formed from per-, here an intensive, and eō (“to go”), hence the sense of going away altogether.^[4][5] In Latin it served as the passive of perdō (“to lose”) (French perdre).^[6][4] The pronunciation of the ⟨é⟩ was remade after the Latin word.^[6]

Cognate with Old Occitan perir, Spanish perecer and Italian perire.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

About 1050 the Vie de saint Alexis uses perir for dying a violent or early death.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In religious use it meant to suffer spiritual death (first half of the 12th century), and of things to be destroyed; it has been said of a ship going down since 1188.^[2][4] The transitive use “to kill” (1121–1134) and the pronominal se périr “to kill oneself” (about 1165) have disappeared, the factitive faire périr (1690) taking over the first.^[2][4] From 1530 it was said of a state or of public affairs going to ruin, and the figurative périr d'ennui dates from the 18th century.^[2][4]

Since the 18th century it is conjugated only with avoir.^[4] The verb has aged, mourir and its synonyms replacing it.^[4] English perish (late 13th century) was taken from the stem periss- of the Old French verb.^[8]

Timeline

• c. 1050 – Perir in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2]
• 1121–1134 – Used transitively, “to make perish”.^[2]
• 1188 – Said of a ship, in Florimont.^[2]
• c. 1380 – The derivative périssable appears.^[6]
• 1530 – Palsgrave uses it of states and public affairs.^[2]
• 1690 – Furetière records faire périr.^[5][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (literary) To die, especially a violent or early death: ils périrent dans l'incendie.^[9][10] Faire périr: to kill.^[9][10][1]
2. (figurative) Périr d'ennui, s'ennuyer à périr: to be bored to death.^[9][11]
3. Of things, to perish, disappear, be destroyed.^[9][11]
4. (nautical) Of a ship, to be lost: périr corps et biens, to go down with all hands.^[9][7][11]

Word family

• périssable
• périssoire
• impérissable

Usage notes

The past participle is used as a noun for those lost at sea: les péris en mer.^[9][4] In some regions the verb means “to go bad, spoil”.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 8, 246b
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
9. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
10. ^ a b Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)
11. ^ a b c Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)