Etymograph

English

perseverance

Perseverance comes from Latin persevērāns ‘enduring’, from persevērō ‘to persevere’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-1‘to hold’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*séǵʰwr̥1‘holding’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seɣwēros1‘severe’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevērus2‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent, austere, harsh, grave (in demeanor)’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērō3‘to persevere’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērāns4‘enduring’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērantia5
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400perseverance5
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perseveraunce5‘Perseverance, constancy’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2004perseverance5

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin severus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin persevero
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin perseverans
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Latin perseverantia
  5. 5 Wiktionary, English perseverance
  6. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2004, Chris Wallace: “It had taken nine years from the evening that…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seǵʰ-Wiktionary, Latin severus‘to hold’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*séǵʰwr̥Wiktionary, Latin severus‘holding’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*seɣwērosWiktionary, Latin severus‘severe’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsevērusWiktionary, Latin persevero‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent, austere, harsh, grave (in demeanor)’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērōWiktionary, Latin perseverans‘to persevere’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērānsWiktionary, Latin perseverantia‘enduring’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpersevērantiaWiktionary, English perseverance
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400perseveranceWiktionary, English perseverance
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500perseveraunceWiktionary, English perseverance‘Perseverance, constancy’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2004perseveranceWiktionary, English perseverance. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2004, Chris Wallace: “It had taken nine years from the evening that…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- ‘to hold’

school, sketch, scholar, hector, hectic, epoch, scholastic, schema, shul, 23 more

through Latin sevērus ‘severe, serious, strict, stern, stringent,…’

severe, severity, 5 more

Today it means

noun Continuing in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition or previous failure.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “perseverance”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin severus, Latin persevero, Latin perseverans, Latin perseverantia. 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 *seǵʰ- / perseverance

Shirt and support for this word