Perform
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French parfourmer, alteration (by association with forme ‘form’) of Old French parfournir, from par ‘through, to completion’ + fournir ‘furnish, provide’.
wiktionary
From Middle English performen, parfournen(“to perform”), from Anglo-Norman performer, parfourmer, alteration of Old French parfornir, parfurnir(“to complete, accomplish, perform”), from par- + fornir, furnir(“to accomplish, furnish”), from Frankish *frumjan(“to accomplish, furnish”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną, *framjaną(“to further, promote”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo-(“in front, forth”), *per-(“forward, out”). Cognate with Old High German frummen(“to do, execute, accomplish, provide”), Old Saxon frummian(“to perform, promote”), Old English fremman(“to perform, execute, carry out, accomplish”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌿𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽( frumjan, “to promote, accomplish”). See also frame, from.
etymonline
perform (v.)
c. 1300, performen, "carry into effect, fulfill, discharge, carry out what is demanded or required," via Anglo-French performer, performir, altered (by influence of Old French forme "form") from Old French parfornir "to do, carry out, finish, accomplish," from par- "completely" (see per-) + fornir "to provide" (see furnish). Church Latin had a compound performo "to form thoroughly, to form."
Theatrical/musical senses of "act or represent on or as on a stage; sing or render on a musical instrument" are from c. 1600. The verb was used with wider senses in Middle English than now, including "to make, construct; produce, bring about;" also "come true" (of dreams), and to performen muche time was "to live long." Related: Performed; performing; performable.
