"long-lasting; permanent, imperishable," mid-13c. (implied in perdurably), from Old French pardurable "eternal, everlasting, perpetual" (12c.) and directly from Medieval Latin perdurabilis "lasting," from Latin perdurare "to last, hold out," from per-, intensive prefix, + durare "to harden," from durus "hard," from PIE *dru-ro-, suffixed variant form of root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast." Related: Perdurability.