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perspicacity (n.)[perspicacity 词源字典]: 1540s, from Middle French perspicacité (15c.) and directly from Late Latin perspicacitas "sharp-sightedness, discernment," from Latin perspicax "sharp-sighted, having the power of seeing through," from perspicere "look through, look closely at" (see perspective).[perspicacity etymology, perspicacity origin, 英语词源]
perspicuity (n.): late 15c., of things; 1540s, of expressions, from Latin perspicuitas "transparency, clearness," from perspicuus, from perspicere "look through, look closely at" (see perspective).
perspicuous (adj.): late 15c., from Latin perspicuus "transparent, clear, evident," from perspicere "look through, look closely at" (see perspective). Related: Perspicuously; perspicuousness.
perspiration (n.): 1610s, from French perspiration (1560s), noun of action from perspirer "perspire," from Latin perspirare "blow or breathe constantly," from per- "through" (see per) + spirare "to breathe, blow" (see spirit (n.)). Applied to excretion of invisible moistures through the skin (1620s), hence used as a euphemism for "sweat" from 1725.
perspire (v.): 1640s, "to evaporate through the pores," a back-formation from perspiration and in part from Latin perspirare "to breathe, to blow constantly" (see perspiration). Meaning "to sweat" is a polite usage attested from 1725. Medical men tried to maintain a distinction between "sensible" (sweat) and "insensible" perspiration:
[I]t is sufficient for common use to observe, that perspiration is that insensible discharge of vapour from the whole surface of the body and the lungs which is constantly going on in a healthy state; that it is always natural and always salutary; that sweat, on the contrary, is an evacuation, which never appears without some uncommon effort, or some disease to the system, that it weakens and relaxes, and is so far from coinciding with perspiration, that it obstructs and checks it. [Charles White, "A Treatise on the Management of Pregnant and Lying-in Women," London, 1791]
Related: Perspired; perspiring.
persuadable (adj.): "capable of being persuaded," 1737, from persuade + -able. Fowler recommends this over the older adjective, persuasible (late 14c.), from Latin persuasibilis "convincing, persuasive," from persuad-, past participle stem of persuadere (see persuade). This originally meant "having power to persuade," but c. 1500 it also acquired the meaning "capable of being persuaded" and the older sense became obsolete.
persuade (v.): 1510s, from Middle French persuader (14c.), from Latin persuadere "to bring over by talking," (see persuasion). Related: Persuaded; persuading.
persuasion (n.): late 14c., "action of inducing (someone) to believe (something); argument to persuade, inducement," from Old French persuasion (14c.) and directly from Latin persuasionem (nominative persuasio) "a convincing, persuading," noun of action from past participle stem of persuadere "persuade, convince," from per- "thoroughly, strongly" (see per) + suadere "to urge, persuade," from PIE *swad- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)). Meaning "religious belief, creed" is from 1620s.
persuasive (adj.): 1580s, from Middle French persuasif, from Medieval Latin persuasivus, from Latin persuas-, past participle stem of persuadere "persuade, convince" (see persuasion). Related: Persuasively; persuasiveness. Replaced earlier persuasible in this sense (see persuadable).
pert (adj.): c. 1300 (implied in pertly), "evident, unconcealed," shortened form of Middle English apert "open, frank," from Old French apert, from Latin apertus, past participle of aperire "to open" (see overt). Sense of "saucy, bold" first recorded late 14c. Less pejorative meaning "lively, brisk, in good spirits" (c. 1500) survives in U.S. dialectal peart (with Middle English alternative spelling). Related: Pertness.
pertain (v.): early 14c., from Old French partenir "to belong to" and directly from Latin pertinere "to reach, stretch; relate, have reference to; belong, be the right of; be applicable," from per- "through" (see per) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Related: Pertained; pertaining.
pertinacious (adj.): 1620s, from pertinacy (late 14c.; see pertinacity) + -ous. Related: Pertinaciously.
pertinacity (n.): c. 1500, from Middle French pertinacité (early 15c.), from Old French pertinace "obstinate, stubborn," from Latin pertinacem (nominative pertinax) "very firm, tenacious, steadfast, persevering," from per- "very" (see per) + tenax (see tenacious). It drove out earlier pertinacy (late 14c.).
pertinence (n.): 1650s, from French pertenance or formed in English from pertinent + -ence.
pertinent (adj.): late 14c., from Anglo-French purtinaunt (late 13c.), Old French partenant (mid-13c.) and directly from Latin pertinentem (nominative pertinens) "pertaining," present participle of pertinere "to relate, concern" (see pertain). Related: Pertinently.
perturb (v.): late 14c., from Old French perturber "disturb, confuse" (14c.) and directly from Latin perturbare "to confuse, disorder, disturb," especially of states of the mind, from per- "through" (see per) + turbare "disturb, confuse," from turba "turmoil, crowd" (see turbid). Related: Perturbed; perturbing.
perturbate (adj.): 1560s, from Latin perturbatus "troubled, disturbed, agitated," past participle of perturbare (see perturb).
perturbation (n.): late 14c., from Old French perturbacion "disturbance, confusion" (14c.) and directly from Latin perturbationem (nominative perturbatio) "confusion, disorder, disturbance," noun of action from past participle stem of perturbare (see perturb).
perturbed (adj.): 1510s, past participle adjective from perturb (v.).
pertussis (n.): "whooping cough," 1670s (Sydenham), from Modern Latin pertussis, from per- "thoroughly" + tussis "cough," of unknown origin.