perhaps

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled per’aps

US /pɚˈhæps/ UK /pəˈhæps/ See IPA manual

Freq #575

Meanings

1

adv
Used to say that something is possible but not certain; maybe.

Perhaps John will come over for dinner tonight.
2

adv
Used to make a suggestion or request sound more polite.

Perhaps you could help me carry these bags?

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · used to say that something... possibly maybe

More bechancebelikemayhapmayhapsperadventure perchance

Word family

Forms p’r’aps

Derived forms perhappenstanceperhapsy

Related forms perhapser

Simplified etymology

Perhaps began in late Middle English as a hybrid of French per “by,” from Latin per “by means of,” and Middle English hap “chance, fortune,” borrowed from Old Norse. The final s appeared around 1520.

Etymology

From Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance).

perhappes Middle English parchaunce Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# perhaps

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** /pɚˈhæps/
**IPA (UK):** /pəˈhæps/
**Frequency rank:** 575

## Meanings
1. Used to say that something is possible but not certain; maybe.
2. Used to make a suggestion or request sound more polite.

## Examples
- Perhaps John will come over for dinner tonight.
- Perhaps you could help me carry these bags?

## Synonyms
- bechance
- belike
- maybe
- mayhap
- mayhaps
- peradventure
- perchance

## Derived Forms
- perhappenstance
- perhapsy

## Related Forms
- perhapser

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: perhappes
- Root: parchaunce

## Etymology
From Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance).

## AI Etymology
Perhaps comes from Middle English perhappes, perhappous, variant of earlier perhap (“perhaps, possibly”), equivalent to per + hap (“chance, coincidence”) + -s, on model of Middle English parchaunce (modern perchance). The historical chain includes perhappes (Middle English), parchaunce (Middle English). In present-day English it covers used to say that something is possible but not certain; maybe and used to make a suggestion or request sound more polite. The wider family includes derived forms such as perhappenstance, perhapsy and related forms such as perhapser.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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