perform

English

Etymology

From Middle English performen, parfournen (“to perform”), from Anglo-Norman performer, parfourmer, alteration of Old French parfornir, parfurnir (“to complete, accomplish, perform”), from par- + fornir, furnir (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Frankish *frumjan (“to accomplish, furnish”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjanan, *framjanan (“to further, promote, accomplish, furnish, carry out”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“in front, forth”), *per- (“forward, out”). Cognate with Old High German frummen (“to do, execute, accomplish, provide”), Old Saxon frummian (“to perform, promote”), Old English fremman (“to perform, execute, carry out, accomplish”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽 (frumjan, “to promote, accomplish”). See also frame, from.

Pronunciation

Verb

perform (third-person singular simple present performs, present participle performing, simple past and past participle performed)

  1. To do something; to execute.
    The scientists performed several experiments.
    It took him only twenty minutes to perform the task.
  2. To do something in front of an audience, often in order to entertain it.
    She will perform in the play
    The magician performed badly - none of his tricks worked.
    The string quartet performed three pieces by Haydn.

Translations

to do something
to do something in front of an audience

to be checked

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Last modified on 16 May 2013, at 20:23