English
confabulate
Confabulate comes from Latin cōnfābulātus ‘having discussed’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’next step skipped: Latin cōnfābulor
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfābulātus‘having discussed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1991confabulate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeh₂-‘to shine, glow light’next step skipped: Latin cōnfābulor
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcōnfābulātus‘having discussed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1991confabulate
Earliest quotation: 1991, George P. Prigatano Chairman, Daniel L. Schacter: “It has been well established that the speech areas…”
first attested First attested in 1623 (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in 1623; borrowed from Latin cōnfābulātus, perfect active participle of cōnfābulor, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- ‘to shine, glow light’
phone, focus, professor, fuel, ben, famous, phase, ban, favor, fantasy, favourite, photographer, emphasis, fancy, fame, bee, profession, phenomenon, fairy, fate, phantom, fatal, abandon, beck, infant, symphony, fabulous, confession, beacon, eff, confess, boon, bane, prophetic, epiphany, fay, foyer, banish, fab, profess, 129 more
Today it means
verb To speak casually with; to chat.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- / confabulate