conflate

Where does the word "conflate" come from? It comes from Latin flare, passing through Latin before entering English (1400s).

Conflate’s story begins in Latin: flare meant “to blow.” To blow, combined with com- (together). Within Latin, it grew into conflare by ancient. To blow together, to fuse, from com- and flare. It reached English by 1400s as conflate. Settled as the English word for combining two or more things into one. Today, conflate means to combine two or more separate things, especially ideas or texts, into one.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient flare "to blow", to blow, combined with com- (together).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient conflare "to blow together, to fuse", to blow together, to fuse, from com- and flare.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1400s conflate "to combine two or more things into one", settled as the English word for combining two or more things into one.