- period
- 1413, "course or extent of time," from M.L. periodus "recurring portion, cycle," from L. periodus "a complete sentence," also "cycle of the Greek games," from Gk. periodos "rounded sentence, cycle, circuit, period of time," lit. "going around," from peri- "around" + hodos "a going, way, journey" (see cede). Sense of "repeated cycle of events" led to that of "interval of time." Meaning "dot marking end of a sentence" first recorded 1609, from similar use in M.L. Sense of "menstruation" dates from 1822. Educational sense of "portion of time set apart for a lesson" is from 1876. Sporting sense attested from 1898.