mid-15c., "a harmony of the Gospels;" 1620s, "action of fusing together," from Late Latin conflationem (nominative conflatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin conflare "bring together, compose," also "melt together," literally "to blow together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + flare "to blow" (from PIE root *bhle- "to blow"). Meaning "inadvertent combination of two readings of the same passage" is from 1881.
