Etymology Map
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Contaminate

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to make impure

Where does the word "contaminate" come from? It comes from Latin contaminare, adopted directly into English (1400s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
contaminare
Latin · ancient
"to corrupt by mixing"
related to 'contagion' and 'tangere', to touch
2
Stage 2 of 2
contaminate
English · 1400s
"to defile"
radioactive 'contamination' dates from the 1940s
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Read the full story

Contaminate’s story begins in Latin: contaminare meant “to corrupt by mixing.” Related to 'contagion' and 'tangere', to touch. It reached English by 1400s as contaminate. Radioactive 'contamination' dates from the 1940s. Today, contaminate means to make impure.