periplus

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπερίπλους“voyage, naval manouver, account of a voyage”
2. Latin · borrowed fromperiplūs“account of a voyage”
3. English todayperiplus

From Latin periplūs (“account of a voyage”) and Ancient Greek περίπλους (períplous, “voyage, naval manouver, account of a voyage”), from περί (perí, “peri-: around”) + πλοῦς (ploûs, “voyage”), from πλεῖν (pleîn, “to sail”). Cf. French périple, Spanish periplo, & Italian periplo.

First known use, by meaning

• 1613 An account of a voyage, particularly those of Hanno and Arrian, recording ports and coastal landmarks.
• 1677 A voyage along a coast.
• 1776 Synonym of circuit: the path or distance around a coast.
• 1854 Synonym of circumnavigation: a voyage around an island or the world.