English
imperfect
Imperfect comes from Latin imperfectus, from perficiō ‘to finish, complete’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructedderived within Proto-Indo-European
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjō1reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō1‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperficiō1‘to finish, complete’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperfectus1
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperfectus1
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imparfit1
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500imperfit1
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606imperfect1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English imperfect
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect.”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, English imperfectreconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, English imperfectreconstructedderived within Proto-Indo-European
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōWiktionary, English imperfectreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, English imperfect‘to make’reconstructedderived within Proto-Italic
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, English imperfect‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperficiōWiktionary, English imperfect‘to finish, complete’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEperfectusWiktionary, English imperfect
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEimperfectusWiktionary, English imperfect
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400imparfitWiktionary, English imperfect
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500imperfitWiktionary, English imperfect
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606imperfectWiktionary, English imperfect. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect.”
Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-
…
Latin perficiō ‘to finish’
Latin perfectus ‘finished, complete’
Old French parfit
Middle English perfit
English perfect
The story
Spelling modified 15c. to conform Latin etymology.
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *θakjō
effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, putrefaction, 64 more
through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’
factor, effective, difficulty, manufacture, interface, faction, affection, facet, affective, defection, deface, defector, effector, affectation, confectionary, 69 more
through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
face, fact, difficult, profit, feature, facility, effect, efficient, faculty, affair, sacrifice, facial, deficit, affect, facilitate, infection, feat, efficacy, facade, fetish, deficient, superficial, defect, counterfeit, facsimile, infect, hacienda, maleficent, aficionado, efficacious, beautify, facies, difficile, parfait, confit, beneficent, confection, refectory, 84 more
through Latin perficiō ‘to finish, complete’
through Latin perfectus
Today it means
adj Not perfect.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “imperfect”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / imperfect