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Origin and history of perch

perch(n.1)

"rod or pole on which a bird alights and rests," late 13c., originally only "a pole, rod, stick, stake," from Old French perche "unit of linear measurement" (5.5 yards), also "measuring rod, pole, bar" used to measure this length (13c.), from Latin pertica "pole, long staff, measuring rod," which is related to Oscan perek "pole," Umbrian perkaf "twigs, rods." Meaning "a bar fixed horizontally for a hawk or tame bird to rest on" is attested from late 14c.; this led to the general sense of "any thing that any bird alights or rests on" (late 15c.). Figurative sense of "an elevated or secure position" is recorded from 1520s.

also from late 13c.

perch(n.2)

common spiny-finned freshwater fish, c. 1300, perche, from Old French perche, from Latin perca "perch," from Greek perkē "a perch," from perknos "spotted, having dark spots," from PIE root *perk- "speckled, spotted" (source also of Sanskrit prsnih "speckled, variegated;" Greek perkazein "to become dark"), typically in names of animals; compare Middle Irish erc, Welsh erch "spotted, dark red; salmon, trout," also "cow, lizard;" Old High German forhana, Old English forne "trout."

also from c. 1300

perch(v.)

"to roost, to alight or settle on or as on a perch; to occupy some elevated position," late 14c., from Old French perchier "to sit on a perch" (of a bird), from perche (n.); see perch (n.1). Related: Perched; perching.

also from late 14c.

perch(n.3)

"measure of land equal to a square lineal perch" (usually 160 to the acre), late 14c., earlier "land-measuring rod" (c. 1300), from Old French perche "unit of linear measurement" (5.5 yards), also "measuring rod, pole, bar" used to measure this length (13c.), from Latin pertica "pole, long staff, measuring rod," which is related to Oscan perek "pole," Umbrian perkaf "twigs, rods." The same word as perch (n.1).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to perch

perk(v.)

late 14c., perken, "to make oneself trim or smart," perhaps literally "to perch on a tree," from Old North French perquer "to perch" (Modern French percher; see perch (n.1), and compare perk (n.1)), on notion of a bird preening its plumage. Sense of "raise briskly, hold up smartly" is attested from 1520s; perk up "recover liveliness" is from 1650s. Related: Perked; perking.

Þe popeiayes perken and pruynen for proude On peren and pynappel.

["Susannah," Scottish alliterative poem, c. 1390]

yard(n.2)

stadard unit of English long measure, Middle English yerd, from Old English gerd (Mercian), gierd (West Saxon) "rod, staff, pole, stick;" also a measure of length," from Proto-Germanic *gazdjo "stick, rod," reconstructed to be from PIE root *ghazdh-o- "rod, staff, pole" (source also of Latin hasta "shaft, staff").

The nautical yard-arm, a long spar tapered at both ends and lashed to the mast of a ship from which certain sails are suspended, retains the otherwise obsolete original sense of "rod, staff." Yard in the nautical sense is by late 13c. (as in man the yards and like expressions).

As a unit of length, in Anglo-Saxon times a land measure of roughly 5 meters (later called rod (n.), pole, or perch (n.1)). The yard measure of three feet is attested from late Old English. Especially by late 14c. as a standard measure for cloth (a rough equivalent for commercial measure was the ell of 45 inches, and the verge).

Middle English yerd (Old English gierd) also was "yard-land, yard of land," a varying measure but often about 30 acres or a quarter of a hide.

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon gerda, Old Frisian ierde, Dutch gard "rod;" Old High German garta, German gerte "switch, twig," Old Norse gaddr "spike, sting, nail."

The slang meaning "one hundred dollars" is attested by 1926, American English. In Middle English and after, the word also was a euphemism for "penis" (as in "Love's Labour's Lost," V.ii.676).

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