English → Latin
“confabulate” in Latin
fābulorto chat, converse, talk; to make up a storycōnfābulorto converse; to discussgarriōto chatter, prattle; to chatter, prattle; to say something in a prattleblaterōto babble, gibber, speak foolishly or in an animalistic manner; to croak; to bleathariolorto foretell, prophesy, divine, tell fortunes; to talk nonsenseālūcinorto wander in mind, talk idly, prate, dreamnūgorto jest, trifle, play the fool, talk nonsense; to trick, cajole, cheat
The English word confabulate itself goes back to Latin fābulor, through cōnfābulātus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
confabulate
fabulari: confabulari: fabulari inter se: sermones caedere (λόγους κόπτειν, to carry on a cheerful and confidential conversation for amusement rather than instruction, especially in the comic writers): to chat with anybody (secretly), fabulari or confabulari cum aliquo (cum aliquo fabulor insusurrans ac praebens invicem aurem (Suet., Cal., 22): garrire (to chat, gossip): blaterare (to chat without ceasing, also to say much about trifling matters): hariolari (to speak incoherently, to talk nonsense): alucinari (to speak without thought or premeditation): nugari (to talk absurdly or to say absurd and ridiculous things; all mostly TR. with accusative).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for confabulate?
- The usual Latin words for “confabulate” are fābulor, cōnfābulor, garriō; also blaterō, hariolor, ālūcinor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.