A common misconception is that because the word “inflammable” allegedly contains the prefix “in-,” it means the object it describes exhibits resistance to fire. Indeed, the infamous non-word “flammable” was invented primarily as a result of this unfortunately widespread impression, and one rarely sees “inflammable” used at all anymore.
Inflammable’s origins can be found in the Latin “inflammare,” meaning “to set aflame,” with in- not being a prefix at all but rather a remnant of the Latin form.
As usual, Strunk and White (authors of the excellent “The Elements of Style”) put it best: Unless you are “concerned with the safety of children and illiterates, use ‘inflammable.’”
Comment Policy
Comments should remain on topic, concerning the article or blog post to which they are connected. Brevity is encouraged. Posting under a pseudonym is discouraged, but permitted. The Daily Cal encourages readers to voice their opinions respectfully in regard to the readers, writers and contributors of The Daily Californian. Comments are not pre-moderated, but may be removed if deemed to be in violation of this policy. Click here to read the full comment policy.