Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “deflate” come from?

Deflate comes from Latin dēflāre, composed of the prefix dē- and flāre "to blow," which derives from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃- meaning "to swell."

deflate (English): To remove air or some other gas from within an...

Definitions

  1. To remove air or some other gas from within an...

Ancestry of “deflate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishinflateTo enlarge an object by pushing air into it; to...
2Latinīnflātus—
3Latinīnflō—
4Latinflō—
5Proto-Italicflāō—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₁-to bleat; to cry; to blow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “deflate”

  • deflation
  • deflationary
  • deflating
  • deflator
  • deflationism
  • deflationist
  • deflater
  • deflatingly
  • nondeflationary
  • Deflategate
  • デフレーション
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →