polluere

Polluere is a Latin verb meaning to pollute, defile, or contaminate. It is used for both physical pollution of water, soil, or spaces, and for metaphorical pollution of reputation, laws, or customs. In Classical Latin, the term appears in contexts ranging from environmental defilement to the moral or ritual corruption of sacred things.

Etymology and form: Polluere is the present active infinitive form of the verb that gives English pollute. The verb is paired with principal parts typically listed as polluo, pollere (or polluere), pollui, pollitum. It belongs to the third conjugation, with a standard set of forms for the present, perfect, and supine derivatives, and the active participle pollutus meaning polluted.

Usage and nuance: The word conveys the idea of rendering something pure or holy as unclean, whether a physical object like a river or field, a place such as a temple, or more abstract domains like law, custom, or reputation. Its usage can carry strong evaluative overtones, marking the act as a violation of norms or purity.

Cognates and influence: Polluere is a productive source for later Romance language terms related to pollution. The French verb polluer, for example, derives from the same Latin root and carries a closely related meaning. English pollute ultimately descends from polluere via Latin and Old French, illustrating how the term traveled into modern vocabulary.

See also: Pollution in ancient Rome; Purity and defilement in classical literature; Latin verbs and their conjugations.