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I hate the word "anathema"
J-Mac:
I would like either "flammable" or "inflammable" removed. Both mean the same thing, which is downright silly IMO. So dump one of them, please! Inflammable is too often misused for nonflammable. Stupid, confusing words!
Jim
superboyac:
I would like either "flammable" or "inflammable" removed. Both mean the same thing, which is downright silly IMO. So dump one of them, please! Inflammable is too often misused for nonflammable. Stupid, confusing words!
Jim
-J-Mac (November 15, 2013, 12:21 AM)
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yea, i agree with this one too. i even remember having at least 3 conversations in my life plus at least two instructors in school going over this. lol
Deozaan:
I would like either "flammable" or "inflammable" removed. Both mean the same thing, which is downright silly IMO. So dump one of them, please! Inflammable is too often misused for nonflammable. Stupid, confusing words!
Jim
-J-Mac (November 15, 2013, 12:21 AM)
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yea, i agree with this one too. i even remember having at least 3 conversations in my life plus at least two instructors in school going over this. lol
-superboyac (November 15, 2013, 01:48 PM)
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I was also confused by these terms for a long time as a child, but it actually makes sense if you consider the words they're based on. One says "This thing is flame-able." The other says "This thing is inflame-able."
Flame: "The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat."
Inflame: "To set on fire; to kindle; to cause to burn, flame, or glow."
It's also interesting to note that someone can become inflamed (figuratively speaking), and if they are easily inflamed, you could appropriately call them inflammable. That wouldn't work with flammable. Since that word always refers to literal fire/burning.
J-Mac:
Yeah... but native English speakers have enough difficulty with these two synonyms disguised as antonyms. Imagine trying to learn English and tackling these two words!
Jim
Edvard:
So, according to the root meanings of "flame" and "inflame", then "flammable" means "if you manage to catch this on fire, it will burn with flames", but "inflammable" means "burnable to varying degrees, but visible flames not explicitly required"
Interesting...
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