Past tense of affuse; to pour or sprinkle liquid upon something, especially in religious rituals or medical treatments.
From Latin 'affusus,' past participle of 'affundere,' combining 'ad-' (to) and 'fundere' (to pour). In religious contexts, it describes pouring baptismal water; in medicine, it described therapeutic sprinkling of liquids.
Affusion baptism—sprinkling rather than full immersion—became the preferred method in cold climates where ice would make immersion dangerous, showing how geography literally shaped religious practice across different regions.
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