expurgo Latin · revision 36418

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=c. 250–184 BC, Plautus|origins=la pūrgō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * Classical: [ɛkˈspuːr.ɡoː]^(Wiktionary)

+ * Ecclesiastical: [ekˈspur.ɡo]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''expūrgō''' (present infinitive expūrgāre, perfect active expūrgāvī, supine expūrgātum); first conjugation^(Wiktionary)

+ A longer form ''expūrigō'' has been restored for the metre in two places of Plautus.^(OLD 2012)^(Georges 1913)

+ The supine ''expūrgātū'' occurs in Terence.^(TLL)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[af|la|ex-|pūrgō|t2=to cleanse]].^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Plautus has it first,^(TLL) reflexively, of clearing oneself of blame: in the ''Captivi'' a speaker wishes to [[m|en|exculpate|alt=clear]] himself before another.^(Conte 2010)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The sense of clearing from blame, justifying, continued in Terence, Sallust and Tacitus, who has a man asking for the charges and declaring he would answer them.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010)

+

+ The physical sense, to [[m|en|cleanse]] or purify, appears in Varro, who speaks of weeding crops, and in Columella of cleaning grain, vines and wounds and of purging animals.^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)^(Conte 2010) Horace asks what hemlock could ever purge him enough, and Pliny the Elder uses it of clearing skin diseases.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Georges 1913) Cicero says that speech must be purged of faults.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Conte 2010) The Vulgate has ''expurgate vetus fermentum'', “purge out the old leaven”.^(Lewis & Short 1879) It continues in Italian ''spurgare'' and Provençal ''espurgar''.^(TLL) English [[m|en|expurgate]] (1620s) comes from its participle or from ''expurgation'', and the plant name [[m|en|spurge]] comes from it through Old French ''espurgier'', from the plant's purgative properties.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of clearing oneself.^(TLL)^(Conte 2010)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 190–159 BC – Terence uses it in the same sense.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of weeding crops.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of purging speech.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 65–8 BC – Horace uses it of a cure by hemlock.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 1st century AD – Columella uses it of grain, wounds and livestock.^(TLL)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it of purging out old leaven.^(Lewis & Short 1879)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * late 14th century – English [[m|en|spurge]] comes from it through Old French.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1620s – English [[m|en|expurgate]] is formed from it.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|cleanse]], purify, free from dirt.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(medicine)'' To [[m|en|purge]] (people or animals); to clean (wounds).^(OLD 2012)^(TLL)

+ # To clear away (unwanted matter).^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # To clear from blame, [[m|en|justify]], excuse;^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) (reflexive) to clear oneself.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # ''(Ecclesiastical Latin)'' To drive out, purge.^(Stelten 1995)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[expūrgātiō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}