parformen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• (analogical) parforme, parfourme, performe, performen, perfourme, perfourmen; paarformyn (late), par fourmi (early), parfoorme, perfoorme (Wycliffe or late)
• (non-analogical) parfourn, parfourne, parfournen, perforne, perfourne, perfourny; parforne (Gower)

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman parformir, parfornir, from par- +‎ fornir (“to furnish”).

Forms with /m/ are due to the analogy of Anglo-Norman former (“to create”) (Middle English formen); though both such forms and those with /n/ were borrowed into Middle English, the latter predominate after 1400, likely due to continuing analogical influence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /parˈfɔrmən/, /parˈfuːrmən/, /parˈfurmən/, /pɛr-/
• (non-analogical) IPA^(key): /parˈfɔrnən/, /parˈfuːrnən/, /pɛr-/

Verb

parformen (third-person singular simple present parformeth, present participle parformende, parformynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle parformed)

1. To execute, carry out, or perform (a job):
   1. To fulfil a contract or directive.
   2. To create or assemble (a structure).
   3. (rare) To perform (surgery, medicine)
2. To induce or effect (an emotion or state).
3. To finish; to make complete or whole:
   1. (rare) To complete numerically; to add up to.
   2. (rare) To survive or while away (time).

Conjugation

Conjugation of parformen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) parformen, parforme
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	parforme	parformed
2nd-person singular	parformest	parformedest
3rd-person singular	parformeth	parformed
subjunctive singular	parforme
imperative singular		—
plural1	parformen, parforme	parformeden, parformede
imperative plural	parformeth, parforme	—
participles	parformynge, parformende	parformed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: perform
• Middle Scots: perform, performe

References

• “perfō̆rmen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.