perclus

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin perclūsus (“obstructed”), past participle of perclūdō (“to seal shut”) (infinitive perclūdere).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɛʁ.kly/

Adjective

perclus (feminine percluse, masculine plural perclus, feminine plural percluses)

1. crippled
2. (figuratively) paralysed
   • 1829, Victor Hugo, Le Dernier Jour d'un Condamné, section XIII:

     J’étais demeuré à la fenêtre, immobile, perclus, paralysé.

     I was still at the window, motionless, frozen, paralysed.

Further reading

• “perclus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.