Etymograph

English

perform

Perform comes from Middle English parformen, from Anglo-Norman performer, an alteration of Old French parfornir ‘to accomplish’, from par- + fornir ‘to provide’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumjaną1‘to promote; to accomplish’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*frumjan1‘to complete, execute’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fornir1‘to provide, supply’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400parfornir1‘to complete, accomplish’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400performer1
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500parformen1‘to perform’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609perform1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English perform
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “Perform a part thou hast not done before.”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumjanąWiktionary, English perform‘to promote; to accomplish’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*frumjanWiktionary, English perform‘to complete, execute’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fornirWiktionary, English perform‘to provide, supply’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400parfornirWiktionary, English perform‘to complete, accomplish’
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400performerWiktionary, English perform
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500parformenWiktionary, English perform‘to perform’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1608–1609performWiktionary, English perform. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Coriolanus: “Perform a part thou hast not done before.”

The story

Modernly, rather than Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, associated with Latin formō, analyzable as per- + form.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *promo- ‘in front, forth’

frame, fro, 2 more

through Proto-Germanic *frumjaną ‘to perform, promote’

furnish, veneer, 1 more

Today it means

verb To do (something); to execute.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “perform”. 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-Germanic *frumjaną / perform

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