Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site tymix.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!stimac 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)