inflammable
Meaning
easily set on fire; capable of burning quickly.
easily excited or aroused to strong emotion.
Structure
Usage
gasoline is a highly inflammable liquid and must be stored away from heat sources.
the speaker's inflammable rhetoric quickly stirred up the crowd.
many synthetic fabrics are less inflammable than natural ones like cotton.
Etymology
the word "inflammable" has a potentially misleading structure. it originates from the latin verb inflammare, meaning "to set on fire," which itself is composed of the prefix in- (here an intensifier meaning "into") and flammare (to flame). the latin root flamma (flame) traces back to the proto-indo-european root bʰel-, meaning "to shine, flash, burn." the english suffix -able was added to the latin stem, creating an adjective meaning "capable of being set on fire." despite the prefix in- often meaning "not" in english (as in "inactive"), in this word it serves as an intensifier, leading to the same meaning as "flammable." this historical quirk has caused safety concerns, prompting the increased use of "flammable" for clarity on warning labels.
Analysis
- in: a latin prefix meaning "in, into, on". - flamm: from latin flamma, meaning "a flame, blaze". - able: a latin-derived suffix via old french, forming adjectives meaning "capable of, fit for, tending to".