Today's Word "Chaste"
Published in Vocabulary
chaste \cheyst\ (adjective) - Morally pure, decent and modest; celibate, virginal; pure or austere in design.
"Hillbourne strove to chasten his mind with scotch and classical music when he sat down to work on his novel."
From Old French "chaste," descended from Latin castigare, derived from castus "pure." The PIE root, kes- "to cut," gives us the word castigate "to inflict severe physical or verbal punishment." It also produced Latin castrum "camp" and castellus "castle," which is the parent of Modern French "chateau." Chaste has a verb form, as well: "to chasten." We often use the verb "chasten" so simply mean "punish." However, remember that it shares the last definition of today's word: in order to make a pure or simply designed work, one must chasten it, or refine excess from it. "Chastely" is the adverb and "chastity," the noun, a popular feminine name back in the days when the idea was popular. A chastener is someone who or something that chastens.
Comments