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From: stimac@tymix.UUCP (Michael Stimac)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: (in)flammable
Message-ID: <366@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 15:49:56 EST
Article-I.D.: tymix.366
Posted: Fri Mar  1 15:49:56 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 20:32:19 EST
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 24

I, too, had heard the story of "flammable" being a coined word to
avoid the possible misunderstanding of "inflammable" in critical
contexts (trucks carrying gasoline). I was going to post this fact.
I decided to look it up, first, though, just to be sure. Surprise!

According to The American Heritage Dictionary -

flammable - easily ignitable and capable of burning with great
rapidity; highly combustible; inflammable. [ from Latin *flammare*,
to blaze, from *flamma*, FLAME].

Thus, the etymology goes all the way back to Latin, and is NOT
a coinage of the industrial age, according to this source. AHD
then adds that "flammable" is especially appropriate in technical
writing (where the need to avoid confusion with "nonflammable"
is critical). This lends credence to the use of "flammable" on
gasoline trucks. However, Strunk and White's suggestion that
"inflammable" should be preferred by fastidious writers seems
inappropriate.

Any other putative etymologies lurking about out there?

Michael Stimac
Tymnet (formerly Tymshare)