Comments on Burn, Baby, Burn!

Go to Bloogle - Add a comment - Go to Burn, Baby, Burn!

Hey...

...top bit of research, Sassy! Though I wouldn't say that that word has died out here - I still see on labels and so on.

I had a feeling they meant more or less the same.

Checking my dictionary (finally) flammable means readily combustible, while inflammable means liable to catch fire. Interestingly, both words are given in both definitions as possible repalcements for each other - if you see what I mean.

It may be time to move on.

D

posted by DamonLeigh on May 27, 2004 at 12:33 AM | link to this | reply

Blame it on Latin, and its tricky prefixes

If something is "flammable" it means it will burn readily ... right? So ... if it's "inflammable" that should mean it doesn't burn ... right? 

Wrong. Both words mean the same.

In the beginning, there was "inflammable," a perfectly nice English word based on the Latin "inflammare," meaning "to kindle," from "in" (in) plus "flamma" (flame). "Inflammable" became standard English in the 16th century. So far, so good.

Comes the 19th century, and some well-meaning soul dreamt up the word "flammable," basing it on a slightly different Latin word, "flammare," meaning "to set on fire." There was nothing terribly wrong with "flammable," but it never really caught on. After all, we already had "inflammable," so "flammable" pretty much died out in the 1800's.

www.write101.com

posted by sassyass_64 on May 26, 2004 at 1:25 PM | link to this | reply

Hmmmm....

...you could be onto something there.

Any other contributions?

(It's more fun without a dictionary!)

D

posted by DamonLeigh on May 26, 2004 at 4:22 AM | link to this | reply

This liquid is flammable. Used as noun.

This material is inflammable. Used as adjective.

I've not checked any dictionary. 

posted by mariantonia on May 26, 2004 at 3:00 AM | link to this | reply

The Same? You Mean...

...they mean the same?

So what's the point of the added 'in'?

D

posted by DamonLeigh on May 26, 2004 at 1:44 AM | link to this | reply

Trying to get laughs out of us? They are the same.

posted by mariantonia on May 26, 2004 at 1:21 AM | link to this | reply