pur-

prefix

In words borrowed through Anglo-Norman: involving forward movement or completeness.

“pur- + port → purport”

OriginMiddle English pur- ← Anglo-Norman pur- ← Latin prō- →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. In words borrowed through Anglo-Norman: involving forward movement or completeness.

    pur- + port → purport

    3 more examples

    pur- + blind → purblind

    pur- + chase → purchase

    pur- + sue (“(obsolete) to follow”) → pursue

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
ana-

Origin

  1. Latinprō-“forward direction, forward movement”
  2. Anglo-Normanpur-
  3. Middle Englishpur-
  4. Englishpur-

From Middle English pur-, from Anglo-Norman pur- (compare modern French pour), from Latin prō- (“forward direction, forward movement”). Doublet of pro-.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pur-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pur-

MLA

“pur-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pur-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pur-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pur-.

Source: pur- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.