entry
conflation
/kənˈfleɪʃən/Blending distinct things into one whole
From Latin con- (with) + Latin flare (to blow).
from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom PIE root *bhle- "to blow"). Meaning "inadvertent combination of two readings of the same passage" is
from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom PIE root *bhle- "to blow"). Meaning "inadvertent combination of two readings of the same passage" is
from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourcefrom Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio ), noun of action
+1 more sourceThis word began life with a puff of breath. Romans could say conflare for literally “blow together,” and the image is wonderfully physical: two separate things getting forced into one hot, stubborn mass, like metal in a forge or pages pressed into a single heap. That same flare gave English words about air and pressure, from inflate to flatulent, while con- keeps the social side of the picture: together, alongside, jammed into one. By the mid-15th century, English clerics used conflation for a harmony of the Gospels, but by 1881 it had taken on a sharper, more suspicious meaning: mixing two readings of a text as if they were one. So when you accuse someone of conflation, you're saying they didn't just combine things — they blew them into the same mold, and now the seams are gone.
The Story
This word began life with a puff of breath. Romans could say conflare for literally “blow together,” and the image is wonderfully physical: two separate things getting forced into one hot, stubborn mass, like metal in a forge or pages pressed into a single heap. That same flare gave English words about air and pressure, from inflate to flatulent, while con- keeps the social side of the picture: together, alongside, jammed into one. By the mid-15th century, English clerics used conflation for a harmony of the Gospels, but by 1881 it had taken on a sharper, more suspicious meaning: mixing two readings of a text as if they were one. So when you accuse someone of conflation, you're saying they didn't just combine things — they blew them into the same mold, and now the seams are gone.
Kin & Kindred
From 'con-'·with, together
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'flare'·to blow
Derived Terms
English words from this root