periphery

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per-der. Ancient Greek περί (perí) Ancient Greek περῐ- (perĭ-) Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Hellenic *pʰérō Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) Ancient Greek περιφέρω (periphérō) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -ής (-ḗs) Ancient Greek περιφερής (peripherḗs) Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der. Ancient Greek -ια (-ia) Ancient Greek περιφέρεια (periphéreia)bor. Latin peripheriabor. Middle French peripheriebor. English periphery Borrowed from Middle French peripherie. Compare Middle English periferie (“one of three layers of atmosphere (lower, middle, and upper) believed to surround the Earth”), from the same origin, although the Modern English term most likely does not descend from it.

1. The outside boundary, parts or surface of something.

   “The suburbs are a city's periphery.”

   “Tumor location was concentrated in the macula and superonasal periphery in patients 13.2 months.”

2. A first-rank administrative division of Greece, subdivided into provinces.
3. The more anomalous and infrequent aspects of a language, as opposed to the frequent and regular core aspects.