Parchaunce

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Maybe or possibly, by some chance occurrence or fortune
2. By some stroke of luck or happenstance, or in the event that something unfolds in a particular way
3. Through accident or fortune, or perchance in the manner that one might hope or expect

Etymology: "Par chance" was an Old French phrase, with "par" meaning "by" and "chance" meaning "luck" or "fortune," so it literally meant "by chance." English took it over as a single adverb, and its spellings varied in Middle English. "Parchaunce" is one of those variants, reflecting the French pronunciation of the phrase. The sense shifted over time. The word began as a statement about luck, and gradually it became a hedge, a way of expressing uncertainty about whether something might happen. That shift is why it now sounds old-fashioned or playful, though it still signals doubt rather than fortune.