περί

See also: περι-, περί-, and πέρι

Ancient Greek

Alternative forms

• πέρι (péri) — initial-stressed form
• περ᾽ — apocope: elision
• περ (per) — Thessalian, Delphic
• παρ (par) — Elean

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *peri (“in crossing, in passing”), locative singular of *per- (“before, in front”). Cognates include Sanskrit परि (pári), Latin per, Lithuanian per, English for, and Albanian për.

The genitive is from the PIE ablative of cause. The dative is from the locative. The accusative is like παρά (pará).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /pe.rí/ → /peˈri/ → /peˈri/

• (5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /pe.rí/
• (1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /peˈri/
• (4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /peˈri/
• (10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /peˈri/
• (15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /peˈri/

Preposition

περῐ́ • (perí) (governs the genitive, dative, and accusative)

1. [with genitive]
   1. about, concerning, because of
2. [with dative]
   1. around, for, about
3. [with accusative]
   1. around (both in the circular sense and close proximity sense), near, about

Derived terms

• περίζωμα (perízōma)
• περισσός (perissós)

Descendants

• Greek: περί (perí)
• → Dutch: peri-
• → English: peri-
• → Finnish: peri-
• → French: péri-
• → Italian: peri-
• → Spanish: peri-

Further reading

• “περί”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “περί”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “περί”, in Autenrieth, Georg (1891) A Homeric Dictionary for Schools and Colleges, New York: Harper and Brothers
• περί in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Bauer, Walter et al. (2001) A Greek–English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
• περί in Cunliffe, Richard J. (1924) A Lexicon of the Homeric Dialect: Expanded Edition, Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, published 1963
• “περί”, in Slater, William J. (1969) Lexicon to Pindar, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter
• G4012 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
• περί in Trapp, Erich, et al. (1994–2007) Lexikon zur byzantinischen Gräzität besonders des 9.-12. Jahrhunderts [the Lexicon of Byzantine Hellenism, Particularly the 9th–12th Centuries], Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
• Woodhouse, S. C. (1910) English–Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary of the Attic Language‎^[1], London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited.
  • about idem, page 2.
  • allude to idem, page 25.
  • allusion idem, page 25.
  • around idem, page 40.
  • busily idem, page 106.
  • busy idem, page 106.
  • coil idem, page 142.
  • concerning idem, page 155.
  • endanger idem, page 272.
  • engage idem, page 274.
  • fear idem, page 312.
  • for idem, page 334.
  • hazard idem, page 389.
  • imperil idem, page 420.
  • jeopardise idem, page 462.
  • kick idem, page 468.
  • mention idem, page 524.
  • near idem, page 553.
  • nearly idem, page 553.
  • negotiate idem, page 555.
  • occupy idem, page 568.
  • of idem, page 569.
  • over idem, page 584.
  • pore over idem, page 627.
  • record idem, page 681.
  • reform idem, page 685.
  • respect idem, page 703.
  • respecting idem, page 703.
  • revolutionise idem, page 711.
  • risk idem, page 717.
  • round idem, page 722.
  • stake idem, page 809.
  • study idem, page 829.
  • towards idem, page 884.
  • venture idem, page 947.
  • wind idem, page 980.

Greek

Etymology

From Ancient Greek περί (perí).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peˈɾi/

Preposition

περί • (perí)

1. (mathematics) about, approximately

   περί τις πεντακόσιες δραχμές

   perí tis pentakósies drachmés

   about five hundred drachmas

2. about, concerning

   Δεν ήξερα περί τίνος πρόκειται.

   Den íxera perí tínos prókeitai.

   I didn't know what it was about.

Usage notes

• In the second sense, the noun following this preposition always uses the genitive case.

Synonyms

• (approximately): περίπου (perípou)
• (concerning): για (gia)

Further reading

• περί, in Λεξικό της κοινής νεοελληνικής [Dictionary of Standard Modern Greek], Triantafyllidis Foundation, 1998 at the Centre for the Greek language