per-

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 482 words | Copyright

per- L. prep. per (see prec.) used in comp. with vbs., adjs., and their derivs., partly through F., partly directly from L., with the senses:
1. through in space or time, throughout, all over, as in PERAMBULATE, PERVADE;

2.. thoroughly, completely, as in PERFECT, PERPETRATE;

3.. away, entirely, to destruction, as in PERDITION, PEREMPTORY;

4.. perfectly, extremely, very, as in PERFERVID. b. (chem.) denoting the (supposed) maximum of some element in a combination, as in peroxide.

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T. F. HOAD. "per-." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "per-." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-per1.html

T. F. HOAD. "per-." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-per1.html

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