Perdur

Perdur is a verb with historical use in Latin and related Romance languages, meaning to endure, to last long, or to persist through time. In English, perdur is rare and typically appears only in scholarly or linguistic discussions as a reference to its Latin roots rather than as a common everyday verb.

Etymology and cognates: Perdur derives from Latin perdūrāre, formed from the prefix per- “through” and durāre “to last,” itself related to durus “hard.” Related verbs in other languages include Spanish perdurar, Portuguese perdurar, Italian perdurare, and French perdurer, all broadly conveying the sense of enduring or lasting.

Usage and context: In classical Latin, perdūrāre and its forms describe enduring states or durations, such as things that last over time. In Romance languages, the perdur- forms are productive for describing persistence of objects, phenomena, or periods. In English-language discourse, perdur is uncommon; it is usually encountered when discussing Latin grammar or philosophical terminology. In philosophy of persistence, the related term perdurantism appears, describing a view that objects persist by having temporal parts—though perdur itself is not a standard philosophical verb.

See also: perdurantism, perdurance, perdurable.