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purgare

Purgare is a Latin verb meaning to purge, cleanse, or purify. It covers both physical cleansing—removing impurities from objects or substances—and the removal of impurities from the mind, body, or moral standing. In classical Latin, purgare is used for practical cleaning as well as for metaphorical purifications related to guilt or fault, and it appears in religious and legal contexts as well.

Etymology and related forms trace purgare to the Latin verb purgo, with the noun purgatio denoting purification

Historical usage and significance: In ancient Rome, purgation could refer to cleansing rites, the removal of

Modern usage: In Italian, purgare remains the standard verb for purge or cleanse, with related nouns such

or
cleansing.
The
term
has
given
rise
to
English
purge
and
purgation,
and
it
influenced
the
development
of
similar
words
in
the
Romance
languages.
The
concept
extends
into
Christian
theology
through
the
idea
of
purification
after
life
and
to
phrases
and
compounds
such
as
purgatorium
in
Latin,
from
which
the
term
purgatory
is
derived.
contaminants
from
vessels,
or
ritual
acts
of
purification
before
certain
ceremonies.
In
medieval
and
early
modern
Christian
thought,
purgation
became
a
broader
concept
of
cleansing
the
soul,
contributing
to
the
theological
notion
of
purgatory
as
a
state
of
purification
after
death.
The
term
also
appears
in
legal
and
medical
literature
of
various
periods,
often
linked
to
processes
of
clearing,
cleansing,
or
removing
troublesome
elements.
as
purgazione.
In
English
and
other
languages,
purging
is
used
in
religious,
legal,
medical,
and
technical
contexts,
including
the
expression
to
purge
data
or
caches
in
computing.
Overall,
purgare
denotes
the
act
of
removing
undesired
elements
to
restore
purity
or
order.