Purpura
/ˈpɜːr.pjʊ.rə/noun
A purple-red discoloration of the skin caused by bleeding underneath the skin.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to the name of the murex sea snail, whose dye made purple so sacred, expensive, and power-soaked that the color became a symbol of imperial authority.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pewr-
“to burn, fire, bright color”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πορφύρα (porphýra)
“purple dye; purple cloth; the murex shellfish used to make the dye”
Latin
Latin
purpura
“purple dye; purple garment; later, a skin eruption or blotch”
Old French
Old French
purpure
“purple color; purple cloth; purpura-like discoloration”
Middle English
English
purpura
“a purplish rash or discoloration of the skin”
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