pollution

The story

1. Latin · derived frompollūtiō“defilement, desecration; nocturnal emission”
2. Middle French · derived frompollution
3. Anglo-Norman · derived frompollutiun
4. Middle English · inherited frompollucioun
5. English todaypollution

From Middle English pollucioun, pollucion (“desecration, impurity”), from Anglo-Norman pollutiun, Middle French pollution, pollucion, and their source, post-classical Latin pollūtiō (“defilement, desecration; nocturnal emission”) (4th century), from the participial stem of polluō (“to soil, defile, contaminate”), from por- (“before”) + -luō (“to smear”), related to lutum (“mud”) and luēs (“filth”). Compare Ancient Greek λῦμα (lûma, “filth, dirt, disgrace”) and λῦμαξ (lûmax, “rubbish, refuse”), Old Irish loth (“mud, dirt”), Lithuanian lutynas (“pool, puddle”). By surface analysis, pollute + -ion.

First known use, by meaning

• from 18th c. Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc.
• from 17th c. Something that pollutes; a pollutant.
• from 14th c. The desecration of something holy or sacred; defilement, profanation.
• from 14th c. The ejaculation of semen outside of sexual intercourse, especially a nocturnal emission.
• from 15th c. Moral or spiritual corruption; impurity, degradation, defilement.