Etymology dictionary
conduce (v.) — conglomerate (v.)
conduce (v.)
c. 1400, "to lead, conduct" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin conducere "to lead or bring together, contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). Intransitive sense of "aid in or contribute toward a result" is from 1580s.
conductive (adj.)
1520s, "having the power or property of leading" (a sense now obsolete), from conduct (v.) + -ive. Physics sense, "resulting from or pertaining to conduction," is from 1840. Related: Conductivity (1837).
conduct (v.)
early 15c., "to guide, accompany and show the way," from Latin conductus, past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together; contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead").
Sense of "to lead, command, direct, manage" is from mid-15c., originally military. General meaning "to direct, manage, act as leader of" is from 1630s; especially of a musical performance (1791).
Meaning "behave in a certain way" is from 1710. In physics, "to carry, convey, transmit," 1740. Related: Conducted; conducting. An earlier verb in the same sense was condyten (c. 1400), which goes with conduit.
conduct (n.)
mid-15c., "action of guiding or leading, guide" (in sauf conducte), from Medieval Latin conductus, from past-participle stem of Latin conducere "to lead or bring together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). Sense of "personal behavior" is first recorded 1670s. A doublet of conduit.
conduction (n.)
1540s, "a leading, guidance" (a sense now obsolete), from French conduction "hire, renting," and directly from Latin conductionem (nominative conductio), noun of action from past-participle stem of conducere "to lead or bring together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead").
Sense of "a conducting through a channel" is from 1610s in reference to liquids; in physics, "transmission, conveyance" of heat, etc., from 1814.
conductor (n.)
1520s, "one who leads or guides," from French conductour (14c., Old French conduitor), from Latin conductor "one who hires, contractor," in Late Latin "a carrier," from conductus, past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together, contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead").
Earlier in same sense was conduitour (early 15c., from Old French conduitor). Meaning "a director or manager" is from 1630s; specific sense of "leader of an orchestra or chorus" is from 1784. Meaning "one who has charge of passengers and collects fares on a railroad" is 1832, American English. Physics sense of "object or device that passes heat or other energy" is from 1745; of electricity from 1737.
conduit (n.)
c. 1300, conduyt, "conduct, guidance, an escorting party" (a sense now obsolete in this word but preserved in its doublet, conduct), from Old French conduit (12c.) "escort, protection; pipe, channel," from Latin conductus "a leading, a pipe," noun use of past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together; contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead").
Conduct and conduit differentiated in meaning from 15c. Conduit in the sense "medium or means of conveying" is from mid-14c.; as "pipe or tube or other channel for conveyance of water," late 14c.
condyle (n.)
"knob at the end of a bone," 1630s, from French condyle (16c.), from Latin condylus, from Greek kondylos "a knuckle, joint, knob," which is of unknown origin.
cone (n.)
1560s, "A solid generated by the revolution of a right-angled triangle upon one of its sides as an axis" [Century Dictionary], from French cone (16c.) or directly from Latin conus "a cone, peak of a helmet," from Greek konos "cone, spinning top, pine cone," which is perhaps from a PIE root *ko- "to sharpen" (source also of Sanskrit sanah "whetstone," Latin catus "sharp," Old English han "stone"), but Beekes considers it likely a Pre-Greek word.
There is a use from c. 1400 as "angle or corner of a quadrant," from Latin. From 1560s as "dry, cone-shaped fruit of the pine;" from 1771 as "hill surrounding the crater of a volcano; 1867 as "minute structure in the retina of the eye;" by 1909 as "a conical wafer to hold ice-cream." Cone-shell is from 1770, so called for its shape; cone-flower is from 1822, so called for its conical receptacles.
coney (n.)
also cony, "rabbit," c. 1200, abstracted from Anglo-French conis, Old French coniz, plurals of conil "long-eared rabbit" (Lepus cunicula) from Latin cuniculus (source of Spanish conejo, Portuguese coelho, Italian coniglio), the small, Spanish variant of the Italian hare (Latin lepus). The word perhaps is from Iberian Celtic (classical writers say it is Hispanic).
Middle English had two forms: cony, conny, also coning, cunin, conyng; Old French had conil alongside conin. Apparently the plural form conis (from conil, with the -l- elided) was taken into English and regularly single-ized as cony. The Old French form in -n was borrowed in Dutch (konijn) and German (Kaninchen, a diminutive), and is preserved in the surname Cunningham (from a place-name in Ayrshire). Rabbits not being native to northern Europe, there was no Germanic word for them.
Rabbit arose 14c. to mean the young of the species, but gradually pushed out the older word 19c., after British slang picked up coney as a punning synonym for cunny "cunt" (compare connyfogle "to deceive (a woman) in order to win sexual favors"). The word was in the King James Bible (Proverbs xxx.26, etc.), however, so it couldn't be entirely dropped, and the solution was to change the pronunciation of the original short vowel (rhyming with honey, money) to rhyme with bony, stony. In the Old Testament, the word translates Hebrew shaphan "rock-badger."
Association with "cheating" is from coney-catcher, "A term made famous by [Robert] Greene in 1591, and in great vogue for 60 years after" [OED]
Also 16c.-17c. a term of endearment for a woman. Coney-wool (1714) "fur of rabbits" formerly was much used in making hats, etc. Coney-hole "rabbit hole" is from mid-15c.
Conestoga
1690s, name of an Indian tribe in south-central Pennsylvania, probably from some Iroquoian language and sometimes said to mean "people of the cabin pole;" later a place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
A characteristic type of covered wagon built there is called Conestoga wagon by 1750 (about three years before the last of the Conestoga Indians were massacred), but it already was an established term, as the first reference is to the name of a Philadelphia tavern, and probably originally it meant the type of wagon farmers used on the road from the city to Conestoga. It seems to have become a popular term in the 1830s to describe the "land ship" used by U.S. pioneers headed west. Also a breed of horses (1824) and a type of boot and cigar (see stogie).
Coney Island
community in Brooklyn, N.Y., so called for the rabbits once found there (see coney) and was known to the Dutch as Konijn Eiland, from which the English name probably derives. It emerged as a resort and amusement park center after the U.S. Civil War.
confab (n.)
"familiar talk or conversation, chatting," 1701, colloquial shortening of confabulation. Mocking variant conflab is attested from 1852, American English. From 1741 as a verb. Related: Confabbing.
confabulate (v.)
"talk familiarly together, chat," 1610s, from confabulatus, past participle of Latin confabulari "to converse together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fabulari "to talk, chat," from fabula "a tale" (from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say"). Psychiatric sense is from 1924. Earlier verb was confable (c. 1500), from Old French confabuler. Related: Confabulated; confabulating; confabulator; confabulatory.
confabulation (n.)
"a talking together, chatting, familiar talk," mid-15c., from Late Latin confabulationem (nominative confabulatio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin confabulari "to converse together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fabulari "to talk, chat," from fabula "a tale" (from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say").
confarreation (n.)
"patrician form of marriage in ancient Rome," c. 1600, from Latin confarreationem (nominative confarreatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confarreare "to unite in marriage by the Ceremony of the Cake," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + far, farris "spelt, grain, meal," which is probably from PIE root *bhars- "bristle, point, projection" (see bristle (n.)).
In ancient Rome, the most solemn form of marriage, in which an offering of salted bread (pannis farreus) was made in the presence of the Pontifex Maximus and 10 witnesses. It fell into general disuse early in the Empire.
confect (v.)
"to make up or compound," especially "to make into sweetmeats," late 14c., from Latin confectus, past participle of conficere "to prepare," from assimilated form of com "with" (see con-) + combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Related: Confected; confecting.
confection (n.)
mid-14c., confescioun, confeccioun, "anything prepared by mixing ingredients," from Old French confeccion (12c., Modern French confection) "drawing up (of a treaty, etc.); article, product," in pharmacology, "mixture, compound," from Medieval Latin confectionem (nominative confectio) "a preparation, a medicament," in classical Latin, "a making, a preparing," noun of action from past-participle stem of conficere "to prepare," from assimilated form of com "with" (see con-) + combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").
From early 15c. as "the making by means of ingredients, art or act of compounding different substances into one preparation." In late 14c. also "something prepared or made with sugar or syrup;" sense of "candies, bonbons, light pastry" predominated from 16c.
confectioner (n.)
1590s, "one who makes confectionery," agent noun from confection. From c. 1600 as "one who compounds preparations of drugs."
confectionary (n.)
c. 1600, "a confection maker," also "confection maker's shop," from confection + -ary. As an adjective, "of the nature of or prepared as a confection," from 1660s.
confectionery (n.)
1540s, "things made or sold by a confectioner," from confection + -ery. From 1803 as "place where sweetmeats, etc. are sold." Of architectural ornamentation, from 1861.
confederate (adj.)
late 14c., "allied, united in a league," from Late Latin confoederatus "leagued together," past participle of confoederare "to unite by a league" (see confederate (v.)). Meaning "of or belonging to the Confederate States of America" is from 1861. Confederal "of or pertaining to a confederation" (1782) was used of the United States under the Articles of Confederation.
confederate (n.)
late 15c., "one who is united with another or others in a compact or league;" see confederate (adj.). Late Latin confoederatus also was used as a noun in its day. Meaning "a citizen of the Confederate States of America" is from 1861. Confederator (mid-15c.) was used in the sense of "an ally, an accomplice."
confederate (v.)
1530s, "to unite in a league or alliance," from Late Latin confoederatus, past participle of confoederare "to unite by a league," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + foederare, from foedus (genitive foederis) "a league," from suffixed form of PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade."
The older verb was confeder (late 14c.), from Old French confederer, Medieval Latin confederare. Related: Confederated; confederating.
confederation (n.)
early 15c., "act of confederating, alliance, agreement," from Anglo-French confederacion, Old French confederacion (14c.), from Late Latin confoederationem (nominative confoederatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confoederare "to unite in a league," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + foederare (from suffixed form of PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
Meaning "states or persons united by a league" is from 1620s. In U.S. history, the Articles of Confederation were adopted by Congress in 1777 and ratified by the states over the next four years. They went into effect March 1, 1781, and expired March 4, 1789.
confederacy (n.)
late 14c., "contract between two or more persons, states, etc., for mutual support or joint action," from Anglo-French confederacie (Old French confederacie), from stem of Latin confoederare "to unite by a league," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + foederare, from foedus "a league" (from suffixed form of PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
Also late 14c. as "an aggregation of persons, states, etc., united by a league, a confederation. At first in reference to leagues of classical Greek states (Aetolian, Delian, Achaean, etc.), later of the Netherlands. In 17c.-18c. often in a bad sense, especially "a conspiracy against a superior."
The word was used of the United States of America under (and in) the Articles of Confederation (1777-1788). In reference to the national organization of the seceding Southern states (1861-1865, also Southern Confederacy) from 1861, in the constitution of the Confederate States of America, formed by constitutional convention at Montgomery, Alabama, March 11, 1861.
conferment (n.)
"a granting, a confirmation," early 14c.; see confer + -ment.
confer (v.)
1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compare; consult, deliberate, talk over," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + ferre "to bear, carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children."
The sense of "taking counsel" led to conference. The oldest English meaning, that of "compare" (common 1530-c. 1650), is largely obsolete, but the abbreviation cf. still is used in this sense. Related: Conferred; conferring.
conference (n.)
1550s, "act of consulting together," from French confrence (15c.), from Medieval Latin conferentia, from Latin conferens, present participle of conferre "to bring together; deliberate, talk over," literally "to bring together," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children"). Meaning "formal meeting for consultation, discussion, instruction, exchange of opinions, etc.," is from 1580s. As a verb from 1846 (implied in conferencing).
conferee (n.)
1779, "one who is conferred with, a member of a conference;" see confer + -ee. Earlier it meant "a colleague or companion" (mid-15c.).
conferral (n.)
"act of bestowing," 1880, from confer + -al (2).
confessed (adj.)
"self-acknowledged, admitted," 1560s, past-participle adjective from confess. Related: Confessedly.
confession (n.)
late 14c., confessioun, "action of confessing, acknowledgment of a fault or wrong," originally in religion, "the disclosing of sins or faults to a priest as one of the four parts of the sacrament of penance," from Old French confession (10c.), from Latin confessionem (nominative confessio) "confession, acknowledgement," noun of action from past-participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge" (see confess).
An Old English word for it was andettung, also scriftspræc. Meaning "that which is confessed" is mid-15c. Meaning "a formula of the articles of a religious faith, a creed to be assented to" is from late 14c. In the common law, "admission or acknowledgment of guilt made in court or before a magistrate," 1570s.
confess (v.)
late 14c., transitive and intransitive, "make avowal or admission of" (a fault, crime, sin, debt, etc.), from Old French confesser (transitive and intransitive), from Vulgar Latin *confessare, a frequentative form from Latin confess-, past participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + fateri "to admit," akin to fari "speak," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say."
Its original religious sense was in reference to one who avows his religion in spite of persecution or danger but does not suffer martyrdom (compare confessor). Old French confesser thus had also a figurative sense of "to harm, hurt, make suffer." Related: Confessed; confessing. An Old English word for it was andettan.
confessional (n.)
"small stall in a Catholic church in which a priest sits to hear confession," 1727, from French confessional, from Medieval Latin confessionale, noun use of neuter of confessionalis (adj.), from past-participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge" (see confess).
confessional (adj.)
"pertaining to confession," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin confessionalis, from past-participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge" (see confess).
confessor (n.)
late Old English, "one who avows his religion," especially in the face of danger, but does not suffer martyrdom, from Latin confessor, agent noun from past-participle stem of confiteri "to acknowledge" (see confess). Meaning "one who hears confessions" is from mid-14c.; this properly would be Latin confessarius, but Latin confessor was being used in this sense from the 9th century. Meaning "one who admits to a crime" is from 1690s.
Edward the Confessor (c. 1003-1066, canonized 1161), the late Anglo-Saxon king, lived a pious life and died with the reputation of sanctity but does not seem to fit his title; perhaps he was so called to distinguish him from another Anglo-Saxon saint/king, Edward the Martyr (c. 962-979), who better fits his.
confetti (n.)
1815, "small pellets made of lime or soft plaster, used in Italy during carnival by the revelers for pelting one another in the streets," from Italian plural of confetto "sweetmeat," via Old French, from Latin confectum, confectus (see confection).
The little balls (which left white marks) were substitutes for the small sugar-plum candies that traditionally were thrown during Italian carnivals; the custom was adopted in England by early 19c. for weddings and other occasions, with symbolic tossing of little bits of paper (which are called confetti by 1846).
confidence (n.)
c. 1400, "assurance or belief in the good will, veracity, etc. of another," from Old French confidence or directly from Latin confidentia, from confidentem (nominative confidens) "firmly trusting, bold," present participle of confidere "to have full trust or reliance," from assimilated form of com, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
From mid-15c. as "reliance on one's own powers, resources, or circumstances, self-assurance." Meaning "certainty of a proposition or assertion, sureness with regard to a fact" is from 1550s. Meaning "a secret, a private communication" is from 1590s. The connection with swindling (see con (adj.)) dates to mid-19c. and comes from the notion of the false "trustworthiness" which is the key to the game.
confident (adj.)
1570s, "self-reliant, sure of oneself;" c. 1600, "fully assured, having strong belief," from French confident, from Latin confidentem (nominative confidens) "firmly trusting, reliant, self-confident, bold, daring," present participle of confidere "to have full trust or reliance," from assimilated form of com, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). Related: Confidently.
confide (v.)
mid-15c., "to place trust or have faith," from Latin confidere "to trust in, rely firmly upon, believe," from assimilated form of com, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). Meaning "to share a secret with, take into one's confidence" is from 1735; phrase confide in (someone) is from 1888. Related: Confided; confiding.
confidant (n.)
1610s, confident, "(male) person trusted with private affairs," from French confident (16c.), from Italian confidente "a trusty friend," literally "confident, trusty," from Latin confidentem (nominative confidens), present participle of confidere "to trust, confide," from assimilated form of com, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + fidere "to trust" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). The spelling with -a- and the pronunciation with the stress on the last syllable came to predominate 18c. and might reflect the French pronunciation.
confidante (n.)
1709, "female confidant," from French confidente, fem. of confident (see confidant).
confidente (n.)
see confidant.
confidential (adj.)
1759, "indicating the confiding of a private intimacy," from Latin confidentia (see confidence) + -al (1). Sense of "intended to be treated as private" is from 1773; that of "enjoying the confidence of another" is from 1805. Related: Confidentially.
confidentiality (n.)
"quality of being confidential," 1830; see confidential + -ity.
configure (v.)
late 14c. (implied in configured) "to form, dispose in a certain form," from Latin configurare "to fashion after a pattern," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + figurare "to form, shape," from figura "a shape, form, figure" (from PIE root *dheigh- "to form, build"). Related: Configuring.
configuration (n.)
"external form or shape resulting from the disposition and arrangement of parts," 1550s, from Late Latin configurationem (nominative configuratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin configurare "to fashion after a pattern," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + figurare "to form, shape," from figura "a shape, form, figure" (from PIE root *dheigh- "to form, build").
confine (v.)
1520s, "to border on, have a common boundary," a sense now obsolete, from French confiner "to border; to shut up, enclose," which is perhaps from the noun confins (see confines) or from Medieval Latin confinare "border on; set bounds." Sense of "restrict within bounds, keep within limits" is from 1590s. Related: Confined; confining.
confinement (n.)
1620s, "state of being confined; any restraint by force, necessity, or obstacle," from French confinement (16c.; the Old French word was confinacion), from confiner "to border; to shut up, enclose" (see confine).
As "restraint from going abroad by childbirth," perhaps a euphemism for childbed it dates from 1774 (the Middle English expression was Our Lady's bands). To be confined "be unable to leave the house or bed from sickness or childbirth" is attested from 1772.
confines (n.)
c. 1400, "boundary, border, frontier, limit" (usually plural), from Old French confins "boundaries," from Medieval Latin confines "a border, boundary," from Latin confinium (plural confinia) "boundary, limit," from confine, neuter of confinis "bordering on, having the same boundaries," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + finis "an end" (see finish (v.)). As "the part of a territory which is near the border" (as in Dryden's "Betwixt the confines of the Night and Day") is from c. 1600.
confirmed (adj.)
late 14c., of diseases, "firmly established," past-participle adjective from confirm. From mid-15c. as "supported by authority or proof." Of persons, "established in the habit, inveterate," from 1826.
confirm (v.)
mid-13c., confirmyn, confermen "to ratify, sanction, make valid by a legal act," from Old French confermer (13c., Modern French confirmer) "strengthen, establish, consolidate; affirm by proof or evidence; anoint (a king)," from Latin confirmare "make firm, strengthen, establish," from assimilated form of com "together," but here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + firmare "to strengthen," from firmus "strong, steadfast" (from suffixed form of PIE root *dher- "to hold firmly, support").
From mid-14c. as "make firm or more firm, add strength to;" late 14c. as "make certain or sure, give an assurance of truth, verify." Related: Confirmative; confirmatory.
confirmation (n.)
c. 1300, confyrmacyoun, the rite whereby baptized persons are admitted to full communion with the Church, from Old French confirmacion (13c.) "strengthening, confirmation; proof; ratification," and directly from Latin confirmationem (nominative confirmatio) "a securing, establishing; an assurance, encouragement," noun of action from past-participle stem of confirmare (see confirm).
Meaning "verification, proof, supporting evidence" is from late 14c. Meaning "act of rendering valid by formal assent of authority" is from c. 1400; sense of "action of making sure, a rendering certain or proving to be true" from early 15c.
confiscate (v.)
1550s, "to appropriate for or adjudge to be forfeit to the treasury," in reference to the goods or estate of a traitor or criminal, from Latin confiscatus, past participle of confiscare, from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fiscus "public treasury," originally "money basket, wicker basket" (see fiscal). Caxton (late 15c.) Englished French confisquer as confisk. The broader sense "take from another by or as if by authority" is attested by 1819. Related: Confiscated; confiscating.
confiscation (n.)
"act of appropriating as forfeit," 1540s, from French confiscation, from Latin confiscationem (nominative confiscatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confiscare, from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fiscus "public treasury" (see fiscal).
confit
"food cooked very slowly in fat," by 1975, from French confit, past participle of confire "to preserve," from Latin conficere "to prepare," from assimilated form of com- "with" (see com-) + combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").
conflagrate (v.)
1650s, "to catch fire," from Latin conflagratus, past participle of conflagrare "to burn, consume," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + flagrare "to burn, blaze, glow" (from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn"). Transitive meaning "to set on fire" is from 1835.
conflagration (n.)
1550s, "a destructive fire;" 1650s, "a large fire, the burning of a large mass of combustibles," from French conflagration (16c.) or directly from Latin conflagrationem (nominative conflagratio), noun of action from past-participle stem of conflagrare "to burn up," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + flagrare "to burn, blaze, glow" (from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn").
conflate (v.)
mid-15c., "to mold or cast from molten metal" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin conflatus, past participle of conflare "to blow up, kindle, light; bring together, compose," also "to melt together," literally "to blow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + flare "to blow" (according to Watkins from PIE root *bhle- "to blow").
From c. 1600 as "to bring together from various sources." In reference to text, "to form by inadvertent combination of two readings of the same words," from 1885.
conflation (n.)
mid-15c., "a harmony of the Gospels;" 1620s, "action of fusing together," from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin conflare "bring together, compose," also "melt together," literally "to blow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + flare "to blow" (according to Watkins from PIE root *bhle- "to blow"). Meaning "inadvertent combination of two readings of the same passage" is from 1881.
conflict (v.)
early 15c., "to contend, fight, struggle," from Latin conflictus, past participle of confligere "to strike together, be in conflict," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fligere "to strike" (see afflict). Meaning "be in opposition, be contrary or at variance" is from 1640s. Related: Conflicted; conflicting.
conflict (n.)
early 15c., "armed encounter, battle," from Old French conflit and directly from Latin conflictus "a striking together," in Late Latin "a fight, conflict," noun use of past participle of confligere "to strike together, be in conflict," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fligere "to strike" (see afflict).
Meaning "a struggle, a quarrel" is from mid-15c. Sense of "discord of action, feeling, or effect, clashing of opposed principles, etc." is from 1875. Psychological sense of "incompatible urges in one person" is from 1859 (hence conflicted, past-participle adjective); the noun was used from 15c. in the sense "internal mental or spiritual struggle" (against temptation, etc.). Phrase conflict of interest was in use by 1743.
conflictual (adj.)
"of or pertaining to conflict," 1950, in psychological writing, from conflict (n.) on model of habitual, etc. Other earlier adjective in more or less the same sense include conflictant (1620s), conflictful (1942), conflictive (1827), conflictory (1817).
confluence (n.)
early 15c., "a flowing together, especially of two or more streams," from Late Latin confluentia, from Latin confluentem (nominative confluens), present participle of confluere "to flow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fluere "to flow" (see fluent).
confluent (adj.)
"flowing together, meeting in their courses," late 15c., from Latin confluentem (nominative confluens), present participle of confluere "to flow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + fluere "to flow" (see fluent). The noun meaning "a stream which flows into another" is from 1850.
conformable (adj.)
late 15c., "corresponding in form or character, resembling," 1510s; see conform + -able. Meaning "compliant, ready to follow directions" is from 1520s. Related: Conformably; conformability.
conformation (n.)
1510s, "act of adjusting or bringing into conformity," from Latin conformationem (nominative conformatio) "a symmetrical forming," noun of action from past participle stem of conformare "to fashion, to form, to shape; educate; modify," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + formare "to form" (see form (v.)). Meaning "manner in which a body is formed" is from 1640s.
conformity (n.)
early 15c., conformyte, conformite, "similarity, correspondence in form or manner," from Old French conformité (14c.), from Late Latin conformitatem (nominative conformitas), from conformis "similar in shape," from conformare "to fashion, to form, to shape; educate; modify," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + formare "to form" (see form (v.)). Meaning "action in accordance with some standard" is from late 15c.; that of "adherence to the Church of England" is from 1620s. Modern spelling is from 17c.
conform (v.)
mid-14c., confourmen, "be obedient (to God), comply," from Old French conformer "conform (to), agree (to), make or be similar, be agreeable" (13c.) and directly from Latin conformare "to fashion, to form, to shape; educate; modify," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + formare "to form" (see form (v.)).
Meaning "to make of the same form or character; bring into harmony, make agreeable," and intransitive sense of "act in accordance with an example" are from late 14c. Sense of "to comply with the usages of the Church of England" is from 1610s; hence conformist (1630s), opposed to non-conformist or dissenter. Related: Conformance; conformed; conforming.
conformism (n.)
1890, "tendency or need to conform" to some group standard, from conform + -ism. In religion, from c. 1902. In geology from c. 1912. Modern, general sociological sense (social conformism) popularized from c. 1948.
conformist (n.)
"one who conforms" in any way, 1630s, from conform + -ist. Compare conformism. Originally usually with reference to religion, "one who complies with the form of worship of the Church of England."
confound (v.)
c. 1300, "to condemn, curse," also "to destroy utterly;" from Anglo-French confoundre, Old French confondre (12c.) "crush, ruin, disgrace, throw into disorder," from Latin confundere "to confuse, jumble together, bring into disorder," especially of the mind or senses, "disconcert, perplex," properly "to pour, mingle, or mix together," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + fundere "to pour" (from nasalized form of PIE root *gheu- "to pour").
From mid-14c. as "to put to shame, disgrace." The figurative sense of "confuse the mind, perplex" emerged in Latin, passed into French and thence to English by late 14c. The Latin past participle confusus, meanwhile, became confused (q.v.). The meaning "treat or regard erroneously as identical" is from 1580s.
confounded (adj.)
as an intensive execration, "odious, detestable, damned," 1650s, past-participle adjective from confound in its older sense of "condemn, curse," which came to be considered "a milder form of imprecation" [OED]. It is perhaps a euphemism for damned. The sense of "put to mental confusion" is recorded from mid-14c.
confraternity (n.)
"brotherhood, society of men united for some purpose or in some profession," late 15c., from Old French confraternité (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin confraternitas, from confrater, from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + frater "brother" (from PIE root *bhrater- "brother").
confrere (n.)
"colleague, fellow member," mid-15c., from Old French confrere "brother, companion" (13c.), from Medieval Latin confrater, from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + frater "brother" (from PIE root *bhrater- "brother"). Probably lost in later 17c. and reborrowed 19c. from Modern French confrère.
confrontation (n.)
1630s, "action of bringing two parties face to face," for examination and discovery of the truth, from Medieval Latin confrontationem (nominative confrontatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confrontari, from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + frontem (nominative frons) "forehead" (see front (n.)). International political sense is attested from 1963 and traces to the "Cuban missile crisis" of the previous year.
confront (v.)
1560s, "to stand in front of, be facing," from French confronter (15c.), from Medieval Latin confrontare "assign limits to; adjoin," and confrontari "be contiguous to," from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + frontem (nominative frons) "forehead" (see front (n.)).
Sense of "to face in defiance or hostility, stand in direct opposition to" is from 1580s. Transitive sense of "bring face to face" (with another, the evidence, etc.) is from 1620s. Related: Confronted; confronting.
confrontational (adj.)
"characterized by or likely to cause confrontation," 1969, from confrontation + -al (1). Related: Confrontationally.
Confucius
1724, a Latinization of Chinese K'ung Fu-tzu "K'ung the philosopher (or Master)" (c. 551 B.C.E.-c. 479 B.C.E.), who sought to remedy the degeneracy and oppression of his time by the spread of virtue and learning. The name first appears in the West in a Latin publication of Chinese works (Paris, 1687).
His ethico-political philosophy is based on proper observance of the relationships of human life (parent/child, husband/wife, prince/subject, etc.). The term Confucianism (1836) sometimes is extended to ancient Chinese speculative philosophy generally. Related: Confucian (adj.), 1759.
confused (adj.)
early 14c., "discomfited, routed, defeated" (of groups), serving at first as an alternative past participle of confound, as Latin confusus was the past participle of confundere "to pour together, mix, mingle; to join together;" hence, figuratively, "to throw into disorder; to trouble, disturb, upset."
The Latin past participle also was used as an adjective, with reference to mental states, "troubled, embarrassed," and this passed into Old French as confus "dejected, downcast, undone, defeated, discomfited in mind or feeling," which passed to Middle English as confus (14c.; for example Chaucer's "I am so confus, that I may not seye"), which then was assimilated to the English past-participle pattern by addition of -ed. By mid-16c., the word evolved a back-formed verb in confuse. Few English etymologies are more confusing.
Of individuals, "discomfited in mind, perplexed," from mid-14c.; in logic, "indistinct, indistinguishable from other ideas from which it ought to be different," 1610s. Meaning "lacking orderly arrangement of parts" is from 1776. Related: Confusedly.
confuse (v.)
1550s in a literal sense "mix or mingle things or ideas so as to render the elements indistinguishable;" from mid-18c. in the active, figurative sense of "perplex the mind or ideas of, discomfit in mind or feeling," but not in general use until after c. 1800. From 1862 as "erroneously regard as identical." It took over these senses from its older doublet, confound (q.v.).
The past participle confused (q.v.) is attested much earlier, in Middle English (serving as an alternative past tense to confound), evidently an adaptation of Old French confus or Latin confusus, "with the native ppl. ending -ED and the present stem a much later inference from it" [OED]. Related: Confusing.
confusion (n.)
c. 1300, confusioun, "overthrow, ruin," from Old French confusion "disorder, confusion, shame" (11c.) and directly from Latin confusionem (nominative confusio) "a mingling, mixing, blending; confusion, disorder," noun of action from past-participle stem of confundere "to pour together," also "to confuse" (see confound).
Meaning "act of mingling together two or more things or notions properly separate" is from mid-14c. Sense of "a putting to shame, perturbation of the mind" (a sort of mental "overthrow") is from c. 1400 in English, while that of "mental perplexity, state of having indistinct ideas" is from 1590s. Meaning "state of being mixed together," literally or figuratively, "a disorderly mingling" is from late 14c.
confusticate (v.)
"confound, confuse," 1852, a fantastical mock-Latin American English coinage from confound or confuse, originally in "Negro dialect" passages in works such as "J. Thornton Randolph's" pro-slavery "The Cabin and Parlor" (1852, a response to "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), picked up in London publications by the 1860s. Similar formations include confubuscate, conflabberated, etc., and compare discombobulate. Related: Confusticated; confusticating.
confute (v.)
"prove to be false or invalid, overthrow by evidence or stronger argument," 1520s, from French confuter, from Latin confutare "repress, check; disprove, restrain, silence," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + *futare "to beat," which is perhaps from PIE root *bhau- "to strike." Related: Confuted; confuting.
confutation (n.)
"act of disproving or proving to be false," mid-15c., from Latin confutationem (nominative confutatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confutare "repress, check; disprove, restrain, silence," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + *futare "to beat," which is perhaps from PIE root *bhau- "to strike." Confutation of the person in logic is argument ad hominem.
conga (n.)
type of Latin American dance, "usu. performed by several people in single file and consisting of three steps forward followed by a kick" [OED], 1935, from American Spanish, fem. of (danza) Congo "Congo (dance)" (see Congo); so called because it was assumed to be of African origin. As a verb by 1941. Related: Congaed; congaing.
Congo was used in the U.S. to form the names of dances associated with slaves from 1803. Congo dance is attested from 1823.
congee (n.)
mid-14c., "leave or permission to depart," from Old French conget, congié "permission, leave of absence, dismissal, ceremonial leave-taking" (Modern French congé), from Medieval Latin commeatus "leave, permission to depart," in classical Latin "passage, going to and fro," hence "leave of absence," from commeare, from com "with, together" (see com-) + meare "to go, pass" (from PIE root *mei- (1) "to change, go, move"). Probably lost 17c. and revived 19c. from Modern French as congé. Also as a verb.
congeal (v.)
late 14c., congelen, from Old French congeler (14c.) "to freeze, thicken," from Latin congelare "to cause to freeze, to freeze together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gelare "to freeze," from gelu "frost, ice" (from PIE root *gel- "cold; to freeze"). Related: Congealed; congealing; congealment.
congener (n.)
"a thing of the same kind as, or nearly allied to, another," 1730s, from French congénère (16c.), from Latin congener "of the same race or kind," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gener-, stem of genus "race, kind" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups). Related: Congenerous (1640s); congeneracy.
congenial (adj.)
1620s, "kindred, partaking of the same nature or natural characteristics," from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + genialis "of birth," thus, "kindred" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups). Sense of "agreeable" is first recorded 1711 on the notion of "having natural affinity." Also compare congenital.
congeniality (n.)
1610s, "state of being kindred; affinity of character or interests;" as if from Latin but apparently a modern formation; compare congenial + -ity.
congenital (adj.)
"existing from birth," 1796, from Latin congenitus "born or produced together," from assimilated form of com "together, with" (see con-) + genitus, past participle of gignere "to beget" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget"). This sense formerly belonged to congenial (which is attested from 1660s with this meaning). Related: Congenitally.
conger (n.)
"large, voracious species of salt-water eel," c. 1300, from Latin conger "sea-eel," from Greek gongros "conger," which is often considered to be Pre-Greek.
congeries (n.)
"a collection into one mass or aggregate," 1610s, from Latin congeries "heap, pile, collected mass," from congerere "to bring together, pile up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gerere "to carry, perform" (see gest). False singular congery is attested by 1866.
congest (v.)
early 15c. (implied in congested), of body fluids, "to accumulate," from Latin congestus, past participle of congerere "to bring together, pile up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gerere "to carry, perform" (see gest). Sense of "overcrowd" is from 1859. Related: Congested; congesting.
congestion (n.)
early 15c., "accumulation of morbid matter in the body," from Old French congestion (14c.) and directly from Latin congestionem (nominative congestio) "a heaping up," noun of action from past participle stem of congerere "to bring together, pile up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gerere "to carry, perform" (see gest). Medical sense "unnatural accumulation of fluid" is from 1630s; meaning "a crowding together of people, traffic, etc." is from 1883.
congestive (adj.)
"pertaining to or causing congestion," 1817, from congest + -ive. Congestive heart failure is recorded from 1928.
congested (adj.)
early 15c., "accumulated;" 1570s, "heaped up, gathered into a mass," past-participle adjective from congest. Medical sense of "containing an unnatural accumulation of fluid" is from 1758. Meaning "overcrowded" is recorded from 1862.
conglomerate (adj.)
"gathered into a ball or rounded mass," 1570s, from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare "to roll together, concentrate, heap up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + glomerare "to gather into a ball, collect," from glomus (genitive glomeris) "a ball, ball-shaped mass," possibly from PIE *glem- (see glebe).
conglomerate (v.)
1590s, transitive, "to form into a ball, to gather into a ball or round body," from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare "to roll together, concentrate, heap up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + glomerare "to gather into a ball, collect," from glomus (genitive glomeris) "a ball, ball-shaped mass," possibly from PIE *glem- (see glebe). Intransitive sense of "to come together in a rounded mass" is from 1640s. Related: Conglomerated; conglomerating.