1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 21… (1911)
“ PERCH (through Fr. perche from Lat. pertica, a pole or rod used for measurement) , a bar or rod used for various purposes, as e.g. for a navigation mark in shallow waters, for a support on which a bird may rest, or for a pole which joins the back with the fore part of a wagon or other four-wheeled vehicle. ”
