Word Confusion: Peripheral versus Periphery

Posted January 2, 2020 by kddidit in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
16 Dec 2022

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While reading a manuscript, I kept coming across periphery vision. I know what peripheral vision is, “vision as it occurs outside the point of fixation, i.e., away from the center of gaze”, but periphery?

In general, peripheral is something that is on the side, just outside of the main focus or issue. Yes, I’m ignoring the computer device aspect in this.

The periphery is the edge, a “line” or boundary of something. If something is on, in, or at the periphery, then you can say it is peripheral, as in “peripheral republics were far from Moscow, geographically, culturally, and linguistically” (Stack).

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Peripheral	Periphery
Peripheral Vision by Zyxwv99 is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.	Poplars on the Periphery 3 March 2018, Whitsome, Scottish Borders, Great Britain, by James T.M. Towill is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Geograph.uk.
Part of Grammar:
Adjective ¹; Noun ² Plural for the noun: peripherals	Noun Plural: peripheries
Not very important Adjective: Relating to or situated on the edge or periphery of something ¹ Of secondary or minor importance Marginal [Computers; attrib.; of a device] Able to be attached to and used with a computer, although not an integral part of it [Anatomy] Near the surface of the body, with special reference to the circulation and nervous system External Of, relating to, or being the outer part of the field of vision Noun: [Computers] A device or unit that operates separately from the CPU but is connected to it, as a magnetic disk or tape unit or a printer ²	A boundary line (with no thickness) The outer limits or edge of an area or object A marginal or secondary position in, or part or aspect of, a group, subject, or sphere of activity The edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area [Anatomy] The external surface of a body The area in which nerves end The relatively minor, irrelevant, or superficial aspects of the subject in question The perimeter of a circle or other closed curve
Examples:
Adjective: The peripheral areas of Europe are most at risk. She will see their problems as peripheral to her own. Check out my newest peripheral! This printer can handle multiple requests and spit them out at a high rate of speed. Myelin is present in both the central and peripheral nervous system. The non-encapsulated endings include free nerve endings, which are simply the peripheral end of the sensory axon. People, this is a peripheral issue. Let’s get back on track. He has good peripheral vision. Noun: It will be paid in the form of vouchers that eligible consumers will be able to use to buy desktop hardware, laptops, tablets, software, and peripheral devices from any vendor. This Internet connectivity has given rise to a slew of peripherals for both television and computer. Consumers can also buy inexpensive hard disks and other peripherals. I was kind of looking at the ball, keeping him in my peripheral and all of sudden I see him closing in on the ball.	The new buildings are on the periphery of the hospital site. There was a shift in power from the center to the periphery. Many women feel they are being kept on the periphery of the armed forces. The ring road runs around the periphery of the city centre. On the periphery of your body, there are sensory receptors such as thermoreceptors and mechanoreceptors that detect different stimuli. The preliminary research did not, of course, take me beyond the periphery of my problem. The periphery of a circle is equal to 3.14 times its diameter, i.e., pi.
Derivatives:
Adjective: unperipheral Adverb: peripherally, unperipherally Noun: peripherality, peripheralization Verb: peripheralize
History of the Word:
1800–10, from the Greek peripher(ḗs) + -al. 1965–70	Late 16th century denoting a line that forms the boundary of something, via the late Latin from the Greek periphereia meaning circumference, from peripherēs, which means revolving around, which is from peri- (around) + pherein (to bear).

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Peripheral versus Periphery

Apple Dictionary.com

Cambridge Dictionary: periphery

Dictionary.com: peripheral, periphery

Lexico.com: peripheral

Merriam-Webster: periphery

“‘On the Periphery’ or ‘In the Periphery’.” English Language & Usage. Feb 2012. Web. 27 Dec 2019. <https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/57283/on-the-periphery-or-in-the-periphery>.

“Peripheral vs Periphery — What’s the difference?” WikiDiff. n.d. Web. 27 Dec 2019. <https://wikidiff.com/peripheral/periphery>.

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