probably akin to Latin flare to blow

That should be: probably akin to Latin flare, to blow. Flare is the Latin infinitive of the verb meaning to blow and is pronounced FLAH-ray. In its full up dictionary entry form, flo, flare, flatus, flatui, if I remember my full up dictionary forms correctly. This is the root of our word inflate.


EDIT: Yeah, right. I spend a half hour researching and making sure that I'd leave something out that'll come back and bite me and Bean slips in ahead of me. Harrumphİ