Etymology of the English word purgatory
the English word
purgatoryderived from the Old French word
purgatoirederived from the Latin word
purgatorium (purgatory)
derived from the Latin word
purgatoriusderived from the Late Latin word
purgatorderived from the Latin word
purgare (make clean, cleanse; excuse)
derived from the Latin word
purus (chaste, unpolluted by sex; plain; clear, limpid, free of mist; pure, clean, unsoiled)
derived from the Proto-Indo-European root
*peuÉ™-Date
The earliest known usage of purgatory in English dates from the 13th century.
Derivations in English
purgatorialUsage
Word found in Modern English
