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In language, idiom conflation is the amalgamation of two different expressions. In most cases, the combination results in a new expression that makes little sense literally, but clearly expresses an idea because it references well-known idioms. All conflations fit into one of two major categories: congruent conflations and incongruent conflations.

Congruent conflations are the more ideal (and more sought-after) examples of the concept. These occur when the two root expressions basically reflect the same thought. For example, “Look who’s calling the kettle black” can be formed using the root expressions “Look who’s talking” and The pot calling the kettle black. These root expressions really mean the same thing—they are both a friendly way to point out hypocritical behaviour. Of course, without reference to a pot (which is just as black as a kettle), "Look who's calling the kettle black" does not directly imply anything. Yet the implication is almost automatically understood because the conflation clearly refers to two known idioms.

Incongruent conflation occurs when the root expressions do not mean the same thing, but share a common word or theme. For example, “a bull in a candy shop” can be formed from the root expressions “a kid in a candy shop” and “a bull in a china shop.” The former root expression paints a picture of someone who is extraordinarily happy and excited, whereas the latter root brings to mind the image of a person who is extremely clumsy. The conflation potentially expresses both of these ideas at the same time without making the speaker’s intention entirely clear.

In logic, conflation is the error of treating two distinct concepts as if they were one. The result of conflating concepts may give rise to fallacies of ambiguity, including the fallacy of four terms in a categorical syllogism. For example, the word "bat" has at least two meanings: a flying animal, and a piece of sporting equipment (such as a baseball bat or a cricket bat). If these two meanings are not distinguished, the result may be the following categorical syllogism, which is clearly intended as a joke (pun):

1. All bats are animals.
2. Some wooden objects are bats.
3. Therefore, some wooden objects are animals.

Conflating words with different meanings can cause real confusion. For example, respect is used both in the sense of "recognise a right" and "have high regard for". We can recognise someone's right to the opinion that humanity is controlled by alien lizards in human form, without holding this idea in high regard. But conflation of these two different concepts leads to the notion that all religious ideas, for example, should be treated with respect, rather than just the right to hold these ideas.

In cartography, conflation refers to the act of combining two distinct maps into one new map. It is similar to the practice of image mosaicking. It is usually carried out by registration of an overlapping area.

• Conflations

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• Stemming algorithm
• Portmanteau