Etymologically
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perficio

Etymology and origin of the Latin word perficio

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (faciō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [pɛrˈfɪ.ki.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [perˈfiː.t͡ʃi.o][1]

Forms

perficiō (present infinitive perficere, perfect active perfēcī, supine perfectum); third (-iō variant) conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from per- “through, thoroughly” and faciō “to make, do”, as Varro noted.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of completing an action and of carrying out an injunction.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to bring to an end, complete, finish, as Caesar's opere perfectō “the work being finished”, to complete a period, as in Horace, and to finish building or composing, as in Cicero.[2][5] In Cato it meant to break down, digest food, and in Vitruvius to use up.[2] It meant to bring to perfection, make perfect, as in Cicero, of plants to bring to maturity, and to give a product its final treatment.[2] It meant to carry out a promise or order, to bring about, achieve, so that perficere ut was to bring it about that, as in Plautus, and to render, make.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to make perfect, finish, perform, accomplish, consummate.[6] Its participle perfectus gave Old French parfit, Middle English parfit, and the classicized English perfect in the early 15th century.[7] It survives in French parfaire.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of completing and of carrying out.[2][4]
  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of digesting.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of perfecting.[2][4]
  • early 15th century – English perfect is recorded in its Latin spelling.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To complete, finish; to finish building.[2]
  2. To break down, digest; to use up.[2]
  3. To perfect; to bring to maturity.[2]
  4. To carry out, execute.[2]
  5. To bring about, achieve.[2]
  6. To render, make.[2]

Word family

  • imperfectus
  • perfectiō
  • perfectissimatus
  • perfector
  • perfectrix
  • perfectus
  • perficus
  • sēmiperfectus

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Perficio.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/perficio. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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