Perturb
/pərˈtɜːrb/noun
To disturb, agitate, or unsettle someone or something.
Did you know?Perturb comes from Latin perturbāre, built from per- (“through, completely”) + turbāre (“to throw into confusion”), the same root behind turbulence and turbo—words that all began with the idea of violent swirling motion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*twer-
“to turn, twist”
Latin
Latin
turbāre
“to stir up, throw into confusion”
Latin
Latin
perturbāre
“to disturb thoroughly, throw into disorder”
14th Century
Middle English
pertourben
“to disturb, trouble, agitate”
Modern English
English
perturb
“to disturb or unsettle”
Explore more surprising origins