Where does “ablution” come from?
Ablution comes from Old French ablution, meaning the washing away of sins or ritual purification.
ablution (English): The act of washing something; The liquid used in...
Definitions
- The act of washing something; The liquid used in...
Ancestry of “ablution”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ablucioun | cleansing of impurities |
| 2 | Old French | ablution | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | ablutio | a washing away; washing, cleansing, ablution |
| 4 | Latin | abluō | to wash off, wash away, cleanse, purify |
| 5 | Latin | ab- | from, away, away from; off; at a distance |
| 6 | Latin | āb | from, away from, out of |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *ab | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | apó | — |