peril

The word 'peril' entered English in the 13th century from Old French 'peril', which itself descended from Latin 'periculum', meaning "danger, risk, experiment, trial". The Latin term is likely derived from the root 'per-' (to try, risk), which is also seen in the Latin verb 'perīre' (to pass away, be destroyed, die), literally meaning "to go through" a dangerous experience. The semantic journey traces a path from the concrete notion of a "trial" or "test" to the more abstract concept of exposure to harm or loss. This evolution reflects how the word shifted from describing an action or event to naming the state of jeopardy inherent within it.

The word 'peril' is a simplex word borrowed as a whole from Old French. Its core morpheme is 'peril-', derived from Latin 'periculum', meaning "danger, risk, trial". It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English spelling.