Purblind

[skinem]

For when plain ol' blind just won't do...
Ran across this in an Alexander Hamilton biography.
Wonder how the "pur" came to be dropped?

Pronunciation: \ˈpər-ˌblīnd\

Function: adjective

Etymology:Middle English pur blind, from pur purely, wholly, from pur pure

Date:14th century

1 a: obsolete : wholly blind b: partly blind
2: lacking in vision, insight, or understanding : obtuse
— pur·blind·ly \-ˌblīn(d)-lē\ adverb
— pur·blind·ness \-ˌblīn(d)-nəs\ noun

[Slava]

Okay, how does this happen? A word that means, etymologically, entirely blind now means partially blind. Nice twist, there.

I like the metaphorical use of obtuse. I can see where it would come in handy in debates about reform issues (education, crime, etc.) and the like.