perform

perform
\ \ [14] If the word perform had carried on as it started out, it would now be perfurnish (as indeed it was in northern and Scottish English from the 14th to the 16th centuries). For it comes ultimately from Old French parfournir, a compound verb formed from the intensive prefix par- and fourniraccomplish’ (source of English furnish). By association with formeform’, this was altered in Anglo-Norman to parformer – whence English perform.
\ \ Cf.FURNISH

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • perform — per‧form [pəˈfɔːm ǁ pərˈfɔːrm] verb 1. [transitive] to do work, carry out a duty, task etc: • It takes a highly skilled mechanic to perform repairs on this car. • Symbols across the top of the screen let a user click a mouse button to perform… …   Financial and business terms

  • perform — per·form vt 1: to adhere to and fulfill the terms of perform an obligation 2: to carry out or bring about perform the work according to design 3: to do according to prescribed ritual or law perform a marriage ceremony 4 …   Law dictionary

  • perform — vb Perform, execute, discharge, accomplish, achieve, effect, fulfill are comparable when they mean to carry out or into effect. Perform, sometimes merely a formal synonym for do, is more often used with reference to processes than to acts. One… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Perform — Per*form , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Performed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Performing}.] [OE. performen, parfourmen, parfournen, OF. parfornir, parfournir, to finish, complete; OF. & F. par (see {Par}) + fournir to finish, complete. The word has been… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • PerForm — and PerForm PRO were electronic forms program, initially designed to work under GEM in DOS. Later versions of this program were designed to work on Windows 3.1, at which point it was succeeded in its product line by FormFlow.The initial version… …   Wikipedia

  • perform — [pər fôrm′] vt. [ME performen < Anglo Fr parformer, altered (infl. by forme,FORM) < OFr parfournir, to perform, consummate < par (< L per , intens.) + fornir, to accomplish, FURNISH] 1. to act on so as to accomplish or bring to… …   English World dictionary

  • Perform — Per*form , v. i. To do, execute, or accomplish something; to acquit one s self in any business; esp., to represent sometimes by action; to act a part; to play on a musical instrument; as, the players perform poorly; the musician performs on the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • perform — [v1] carry out, accomplish achieve, act, be engaged in, behave, bring about, bring off, carry through, carry to completion, complete, comply, deliver the goods*, discharge, dispose of, do, do justice to*, do to a turn*, effect, end, enforce,… …   New thesaurus

  • perform on — index militate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • perform — c.1300, carry into effect, fulfill, discharge, via Anglo Fr. performir, altered (by influence of O.Fr. forme form ) from O.Fr. parfornir to do, carry out, finish, accomplish, from par completely + fornir to provide (see FURNISH (Cf. furnish)).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • perform — ► VERB 1) carry out, accomplish, or fulfil (an action, task, or function). 2) work, function, or do something to a specified standard. 3) present entertainment to an audience. 4) (of an investment) yield a profitable return. DERIVATIVES… …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”