confundo

Confundo is a Latin verb meaning to pour together, to mix up, or to confuse. It derives from con- “together” and fundere “to pour.” In classical Latin, it is a transitive verb and is usually found with an accusative object. The principal parts are confundo, confundere, confudi, confusum.

As a figurative sense, confundo describes bewilderment, perplexity, or the act of confusing people or things. In Latin syntax it governs objects directly; it can also denote mixing or blending, for example in contexts describing blending substances or ideas.

English derivatives include confuse and confound; the noun forms confusion and confounding; the verb to confound has similar origins. In statistics and research design, confounding refers to a situation in which an outside variable alters the apparent relationship between a studied exposure and outcome.

Romance languages show cognates: French confondre, Spanish confundir, Italian confondere, Portuguese confundir.