purgen

English

Etymology

Genericized version of the trade name Purgen, from purge.

Noun

purgen (uncountable)

1. (proprietary name, obsolete) A preparation of phenolphthalein, employed as a laxative.
   • 1908, Norbert Ortner, Nathaniel Bowditch Potter, Frederic Huntington Bartlett, Treatment of Internal Diseases: For Physicians and Students, page 498:

     The author considers purgen (phenolphthalein) generally reliable as a cathartic, but one attended with some danger.

Anagrams

• repugn

Middle English

Alternative forms

• poorgyn, porge, porgyn, pourge, purge, purgyn

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French purgier, from Latin pūrgō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpurd͡ʒən/

Verb

purgen

1. To cleanse or purify; to remove impurities:
   1. To free from sin; to spiritually purify.
   2. To ritually cleanse or purify.
   3. (medicine) To purge or cleanse the body.
   4. (medicine) To evacuate the bowels.
2. To clean or clear; to remove extraneous matter.
3. (law) To prove innocence; to clear.

Conjugation

Conjugation of purgen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) purgen, purge
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	purge	purged
2nd-person singular	purgest	purgedest
3rd-person singular	purgeth	purged
subjunctive singular	purge
imperative singular		—
plural1	purgen, purge	purgeden, purgede
imperative plural	purgeth, purge	—
participles	purgynge, purgende	purged, ypurged

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• purgacioun
• purgatorie
• purgynge

Descendants

• English: purge
• Scots: purge

References

• “purǧen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.