Etymologically
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confusus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kõːˈfuː.sʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [koɱˈfuː.s̬us][1]

Forms

cōnfūsus (feminine cōnfūsa, neuter cōnfūsum, comparative cōnfūsior, superlative cōnfūsissimus); first/second-declension participle[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of cōnfundō (“to pour together, mix, confuse”), used as an adjective.[2][1][3] ⟨cōnfundō⟩ is con- and fundō (“to pour”), which de Vaan derives from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰu-n-d- (“to pour”), cognate with Ancient Greek χέω (khéō, “to pour”) and Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌿𐍄𐌰𐌽 (giutan, “to pour”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Lucretius.[5] In Cicero it is general, not distinguished in detail: things may differ in fact while seeming the same in words.[2]

Semantic evolution

Its literal sense is mixed together, as Pliny the Elder's bronze mixed with gold and silver, and suffused, as Columella's rose suffused with blush.[2] More often it is disordered: Cicero speaks of a speech so jumbled that nothing comes first or second, and Pliny of confused fear.[2] It is also indistinct, of inarticulate sounds and of vague, uncertain ideas.[2]

Church Latin has it for confused, disordered, and also ashamed.[6] English confuse (1550s) is from the same verb.[7]

Timeline

  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius.[5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of a jumbled speech and of indistinct sounds.[2][5]
  • 1st century AD – Columella of a rose suffused with blush.[2][5]
  • 23/24–79 AD – Pliny the Elder of mixed metals.[2][5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Mixed together, mingled; suffused.[2][1]
  2. Not distinguished in detail, general.[2]
  3. Disordered, jumbled, confused.[2][1][6]
  4. Indistinct, inarticulate; vague, obscure.[2]
  5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Ashamed.[6]

Word family

Usage notes

The adverb is cōnfūsē.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com