perhaps (adv.)

"possibly," late 15c., perhappes, with adverbial genitive, from earlier perhap (mid-14c.), from per, par "by, through" (see per) + plural of hap "chance" (see happen), on model of peradventure, perchance, etc. which now have been superseded by this word. Perhappons "possibly, by chance" is recorded from late 15c.