permanent
Meaning
Lasting or intended to last for a very long time or forever without change.
Structure
Usage
The gallery houses a permanent collection of 20th-century art.
He suffered permanent damage to his nervous system.
They are looking for a permanent solution to the problem.
Etymology
The word "permanent" originates from the Latin permanēns, the present participle of permanēre, meaning "to endure, persist, remain to the end." This Latin verb is a compound of per- ("through, thoroughly") and manēre ("to remain, stay"). The core logic is of something that "remains thoroughly" or "stays through" all changes or challenges of time. This literal sense of enduring persistence evolved into the modern abstract meaning describing a state or condition that is lasting, stable, and not temporary.
Analysis
- per: Latin origin, meaning "through, thoroughly". - man: Latin origin, from the verb manēre, meaning "to remain, stay". - ent: Latin suffix -ent- (present participial stem), used in English to form adjectives meaning "doing, being, causing".