OK folks...It's time for the Universal question of all time: Why do the words flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?

You can't have "Freedom of Choice" if there aren't any choices!

If it burns, it burns!

This is the first time I cared enough to look this up:

Why are there two different words? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, back in the 1920s the National Fire Protection Association urged people to start using the word 'flammable' instead of 'inflammable' (which is the original word) because they were concerned some people might think inflammable meant not-flammable.


Actually, the in- in inflammable was derived from the Latin preposition meaning en- (like enflamed), not the Latin prefix meaning -un. It's not like everyone knew the derivation of the word, so the change probably made sense. However, confusion persists today regarding which word to use.

Interesting....

Flammable means it can burn. Inflammable means the fire can get inside. But nobody knows that, so they both mean the same thing.

Typical, you know, people don't know what they are saying but they are willing to die for it.

have no idea

For the same reason that valuable and invaluable mean the same thing.