Public SourceMage Discussion List

[Geoffrey Derber <gderber AT sourcemage.org>]

Andrew wrote:
> > spells. I?d think that a good name for your new script will be conterspell 
> > but the word is
> > too long. If anybody has a similar idea or a way to make it short.
>
> Along with cleanse, I've been wandering through the dictionary and came
> up with 'exorcize', 'expel', and 'banish'.
Since this seems to be going to the lists as much as dufflebunk, I 
thought I'd send my ideas to the list too.  Andrew, you aren't the only 
one who thought of "cleanse".

My comments to dufflebunk:

A couple ideas:
clæne (Old English clean), for our purposes claene would work
clænsian (Old English cleanse), for our purposes cleansian work work

It appears that in Old English, clean was the adj, while cleanse was the 
verb.[0]

Middle English purifien, from Old French purifier, from Latin purificare 
: purus (Archaic forms of purify)

I also thought of 'refine' but apparently that does not have an archaic 
form.[1]

Geoff

[0]http://www.etymonline.com/c5etym.htm
'clean - O.E. clæne "clean, pure," from W.Gmc. *klainoz "clear, pure," 
from PIE base *gel- "to gleam." As an adj., replaced in higher senses by 
clear, pure, but as a verb (c.1450) it has largely usurped what once 
belonged to cleanse (from O.E. clænsian), which, despite its modern 
spelling (16c.) retains its M.E. pronunciation. Clean in the sense of 
"innocent" is from c.1300; that of "not lewd" is from 1867; that of 
"free of drug addiction" is 1950s. Clean up "make a large profit" is 
from 1929. To take (someone) to the cleaners "get all of (someone's) 
money" is from 1932.'
[1]http://www.etymonline.com/r3etym.htm
"refine - 1582, of metals and of character, from re-, intensive prefix + 
fine (v.) "make fine." Refinery is first recorded 1727."