The purity of a substance can be associated with the absence of contaminants and foreign elements.
The first thing we are going to do is establish the etymological origin of the word purity . And that leads us to have to determine that it is found in Latin. Thus, we can see that our term is made up of two Latin lexical components: the word purus , which can be translated as "pure", and the suffix - eza , which is equivalent to "quality."
Purity is the quality of pure (that or that which is free and exempt from any admixture of anything else, which does not include any condition, exception or restriction or term or which is free from moral imperfections).
For example: "The purity of the water in this lake can be seen with the naked eye" , "American scientists want to preserve the purity of the dog breed they created from a new cross" , "The police seized a ton of cocaine from maximum purity .
The purity of precious metals
In this case, starting from this meaning, we have to establish that purity is a term that is used very frequently in the field of precious metals. And, based on it, it is established whether an element of that type has more or less quality, which will then translate, therefore, into a higher or lower price.
In this way, we find the fact that gold can be classified into three clearly differentiated types based on its purity. Thus, there is the average gold, which has a purity of 50%; the first law, which has 75%; and finally the cigar, which has 99% purity.
It is common for purity to be linked to virginity.
The concept applied to race
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore that there is also what is known as racial purity . This is synonymous with racism.
We could say, therefore, that it is the attitude that certain individuals take towards others because of the race to which they belong. And they are the first to consider that their racial group is the one that should prevail, which translates, therefore, into situations as serious as discrimination, segregation or slavery.
Purity as chastity or virginity
Purity, on the other hand, refers to virginity , maidenhood and chastity . A pure woman, therefore, is one who has not had sexual experiences . There are various nuances that, according to social or religious perspectives, can determine whether a woman is pure or not.
A woman's purity is usually considered based on the presence of an intact hymen . However, it can break without vaginal intercourse (when riding a bicycle, for example) or remain in the body even after sexual intercourse (when the hymen has a lot of elasticity).
Purity may also have been violated without vaginal penetration (in the case of oral or anal sex), by masturbation or by introducing a sexual object into the vagina.
The association between spiritual purity and virginity, however, has been lost over the years and today it is not usual to morally condemn a woman for having had relations before marriage.