Pure
/pjʊr/noun
Free from contamination, mixture, or moral fault.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “fire,” which is why the idea of purity was once tied to being tested and cleansed by heat.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*péh₂wr̥
“fire”
Latin
Latin
pūrus
“clean, untainted, unmixed”
Old French
Old French
pur
“clean, pure”
Middle English
English
pure
“clean, unmixed, chaste”
Modern English
English
pure
“free from contamination, mixture, or moral fault”