puro Italian · revision 38997

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1225|origins=ine-pro *ph₂u-ro-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈpu.ro/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''puro''' (feminine pura, masculine plural puri, feminine plural pure, superlative purissimo, adverb puramente)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|pūrus|t=clean, pure]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI treats it as a learned word, while Nocentini, Wiktionary and the REW count it among the inherited ones; the old diminutive [[puretto]], which became [[pretto]] “pure, unmixed”, shows popular use.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The same word is [[fr|pur]], [[oc|pur]], [[ca|pur]], [[es|puro]] and [[pt|puro]], and it passed into Brittonic as [[br|pur]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3156)

+

+ The Latin adjective belonged to the vocabulary of religion.^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3156) De Vaan derives it from [[ine-pro|*ph₂u-ro-|t=clear, cleansed]], a stem shared with Celtic ([[sga|úr|t=green, fresh]]) and related to the Indo-Iranian verbs for “to clean”.^(de Vaan 2008) Nocentini links the root with one of the Indo-European words for fire as the purifier: the Old Umbrian form [[m|xum|pir]], [[grc|πῦρ|tr=pŷr]], [[hit|paḫḫur]] and [[goh|fiur]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Nocentini and GRADIT date the word to about 1225.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003) DELI's first record is Giacomo da Lentini, before 1250, in the sense “unstained by guilt or sin”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Dante, before 1321, has the material sense “not mixed with anything else”, of pure gold and silver.^(DELI 1999)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) Galileo used it of a science not applied to practice (1630–1631), and Della Casa, before 1556, of something “mere, simple”: ''la pura verità''.^(DELI 1999) With Kant ''puro'' became a technical term of philosophy for knowledge independent of experience.^(DEI|3156)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ As a noun ''i puri'' were in 1923 the communists, who called themselves pure of any compromise with the bourgeoisie, against the socialists; later the word meant anyone who keeps to their convictions without compromise, and in sport an amateur athlete (1965).^(DELI 1999) ''Purosangue'' “thoroughbred” follows French ''pur-sang'', and ''purismo'' and ''purista'' come from French too.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * About 1225 – First record.^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses ''puro'' of moral purity.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it of unmixed substances.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1630–1631 – Galileo uses it of a pure science.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1838 – ''Cavalli di puro sangue'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1923 – ''Puri'' names the uncompromising communists.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Not mixed with anything else; in its natural state: ''acqua pura'', ''oro puro'', ''pura lana''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Clean, not [[m|en|polluted]]; of the sky, clear: ''l'aria pura delle colline''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # Of an animal, of unmixed breed: ''un cane di razza pura''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # Of a style or a language, free of foreign or dialect elements; of lines and forms, simple and elegant.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a science or a scholar, theoretical, not applied: ''matematica pura''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(philosophy)'' In Kant, of knowledge [[m|en|a priori]], independent of experience: ''ragione pura''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(figurative)'' Morally clean, innocent; [[m|en|chaste]]: ''un cuore puro''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Gabrielli 2020)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # (before the noun) [[m|en|mere]], sheer, nothing but: ''per puro caso'', ''puro e semplice''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A person who keeps to their principles without compromise.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[purezza]]

+ * [[purificare]]

+ * [[purificatoio]]

+ * [[purificatore]]

+ * [[purificazione]]

+ * [[purismo]]

+ * [[purista]]

+ * [[puristico]]

+ * [[purità]]

+ * [[purosangue]]

+ * [[pretto]]

+ * [[impuro]]

+ * [[impurità]]

+ * [[appurare]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[pure]]

+ * [[la|pūrus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Puro'' was also an archaic form of the adverb ''pure'' “also, even”.^(Wiktionary) DEI separates a philosophical ''puro'' of the 19th century, from Kant's use, as a second headword.^(DEI|3156)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}