Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “confuse” come from?

confuse (English) comes from English confused, from Middle English confused, from Anglo-Norman confus, from Latin cōnfūsus, from Latin confundō, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

confuse (English): to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder ; to afflict...

Definitions

  1. to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder ; to afflict...

Ancestry of “confuse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishconfusedsimple past tense and past participle of confuse;...
2Middle Englishconfused—
3Anglo-Normanconfus—
4Latincōnfūsus—
5Latinconfundō—
6Latincōn-—
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “confuse”

  • confusable
  • confusability
  • confuser
  • confusement
  • unconfuse
  • confusible
  • confusably
  • confuseth
  • unconfusable
  • confusopoly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →