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abluo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word abluo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Pacuvius
Ultimate origin
Latin (luō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈab.ɫu.oː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈab.lu.o][1]

Forms

abluō (present infinitive abluere, perfect active abluī, supine ablūtum); third conjugation, no passive[1]

Etymology

It is from ab- (“away”) and luō “to wash”, related to lavō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Pacuvius, who has dust washed off with water.[2][4] Köbler dates Pacuvius 220–130 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant to wash off or away, as Virgil's blood and sweat washed off, and figuratively to wash away, dispel feelings, as in Cicero.[2][6] It meant to wash clean, cleanse, bathe, as Cicero's washing of Ulysses' feet, and poetically of water to bathe, flow past, as in Tibullus.[2][4][6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to wash, cleanse.[7] It survives in French abluer and Portuguese abluir.[1] English ablution comes from its noun ablūtiō in the late 14th century.[3]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of washing off dust.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of washing feet and dispelling feelings.[2][6][5]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of washing off blood.[6][5]
  • late 14th century – English ablution is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To wash off, wash away.[2]
  2. To dispel (feelings).[2]
  3. To wash clean, cleanse, bathe.[2]

Word family

  • ablūtiō
  • ablūtor
  • abluviō
  • abluvium
  • superabluo
  • ablūtus
  • alluō
  • circumluō
  • colluō
  • dēluō
  • dīluō
  • ēluō
  • interluō
  • lavō
  • luō
  • perluō
  • English ablution

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Abluo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/abluo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·