Etymology Map
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Pure

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means not mixed with anything else

Where does the word "pure" come from? It comes from Latin purus, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
purus
Latin · ancient
"clean, unmixed"
the root of 'purge' and 'purify'
2
Stage 2 of 3
pur
Old French · medieval
"pure"
used of metals and morals
3
Stage 3 of 3
pure
English · 1200s
"unmixed"
'pure mathematics' dates from the 1500s
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Read the full story

Pure’s story begins in Latin: purus meant “clean, unmixed.” The root of 'purge' and 'purify'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as pur. Used of metals and morals. It reached English by 1200s as pure. 'pure mathematics' dates from the 1500s. Today, pure means not mixed with anything else.