'perambulate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'perambulare', where 'per-' meant 'through' and 'ambulare' meant 'to walk'.

'perambulate' changed from the Late Latin word 'perambulare' into Anglo-French/Old French forms such as 'perambuler' and entered Middle English as forms like 'perambulaten', eventually becoming the modern English 'perambulate'.

Initially, it meant 'to walk through' in a literal sense; over time it acquired the specialized sense 'to walk in order to inspect or survey', while also being used more loosely to mean 'to stroll'.