Perch
/pɜːrtʃ/noun
A rod, branch, or other resting place for a bird; also, to sit or rest on something raised.
Did you know?English *perch* comes through Old French from Latin *pertica*, meaning a long pole or stake, which is also the ancestor of *pale* and *pertain*—a reminder that even a bird’s “seat” began as a measuring stick.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pertica
“a long pole, rod, or measuring staff”
Old French
Old French
perche
“a pole, rod, or measuring perch”
Middle English
English
perche
“a rod, staff, or elevated resting place”
Modern English
English
perch
“a place for a bird to rest; to sit or rest on a raised place”