4 ms·

Indeed it seems like replacing "hallucinate" with "confabulate" would improve understanding of the phenomenon in english, but it could cause a problem in Romanc

Indeed it seems like replacing "hallucinate" with "confabulate" would improve understanding of the phenomenon in english, but it could cause a problem in Romance languages. Indeed, the Latin verb "confabulor has the meaning of "discuss, converse" [0], not specifically "inventing things", and Romance languages already have words derived in sound and meaning from this classic Latin sense. For instance French already has "confabuler" meaning "speak familiarly with someone" [1]. Thus in Romance languages, this proposed usage of "confabulate" imported from the psychiatric word could be understood poorly due to preexisting similar-sounding words that do not include the notion of "making things up". Just proposing thoughts here, not advocating for a final decision. Maybe it's still good to adopt this wording! [0] : https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/confabulor#Latin https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/confabulor#Latin [1] : https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9C3479 https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9C3479

luxcem 3y ago
In french we use "fabuler"[1] that can be translated to "make sth up". I don't know if it's the same in other Roman language. [1] https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0016 https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0016
KaiserPro 3y ago
Confabulate means that in english as well. the psych meaning is very much secondary. That's why cardinals are trapped in a "confab"
- ethanbond 3y ago
  I have never heard “confabulate” in [American] English to mean anything other than “bullshitting.”
  - tremon 3y ago
    Same here. I don't know if it's correct, but I've always considered "confabulate" etymologically related to "fable", so it's always fictitious by definition. edit: it is: https://www.etymonline.com/word/confabulate https://www.etymonline.com/word/confabulate -- although both the verb fabulari and the noun fabula ultimately come from the proto root bha-, which is also the root for falar in Portuguese and hablar in Spanish (and presumably parlez in French?)
    - trealira 3y ago
      No, according to Wiktionary[0] the verb parler comes from Early Medieval Latin parabolāre, which comes from Latin parabola (which in Late Latin could have the meaning of "parable"), and that was borrowed from Ancient Greek παραβολή. The Italian verb parlare has a similar etymology. [0]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parler https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parler
panchicore3 3y ago
The word "confabular" comes from the Latin "confābulārī", which means "to talk together". It's derived from the prefix "con-", meaning "together", and "fābulārī", which means "to talk" or "to speak". "Fābulārī" is related to "fābula", which in Latin means "story" or "tale". Over time, the word evolved in the Romance languages, leading to the Spanish "confabular", which retains the idea of conversing or fabricating stories.

luxcem 3y ago

In french we use "fabuler"[1] that can be translated to "make sth up". I don't know if it's the same in other Roman language. [1] https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0016 https://www.dictionnaire-academie.fr/article/A9F0016

KaiserPro 3y ago

Confabulate means that in english as well. the psych meaning is very much secondary. That's why cardinals are trapped in a "confab"

ethanbond 3y ago
I have never heard “confabulate” in [American] English to mean anything other than “bullshitting.”
- tremon 3y ago
  Same here. I don't know if it's correct, but I've always considered "confabulate" etymologically related to "fable", so it's always fictitious by definition. edit: it is: https://www.etymonline.com/word/confabulate https://www.etymonline.com/word/confabulate -- although both the verb fabulari and the noun fabula ultimately come from the proto root bha-, which is also the root for falar in Portuguese and hablar in Spanish (and presumably parlez in French?)
  - trealira 3y ago
    No, according to Wiktionary[0] the verb parler comes from Early Medieval Latin parabolāre, which comes from Latin parabola (which in Late Latin could have the meaning of "parable"), and that was borrowed from Ancient Greek παραβολή. The Italian verb parlare has a similar etymology. [0]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parler https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parler

panchicore3 3y ago

The word "confabular" comes from the Latin "confābulārī", which means "to talk together". It's derived from the prefix "con-", meaning "together", and "fābulārī", which means "to talk" or "to speak". "Fābulārī" is related to "fābula", which in Latin means "story" or "tale". Over time, the word evolved in the Romance languages, leading to the Spanish "confabular", which retains the idea of conversing or fabricating stories.