'confuse' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'confundere', where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'fundere' meant 'to pour'.

'confuse' changed from Latin 'confundere' to Old French 'confus'/'confuser' and eventually became the Middle English 'confusen', which then developed into the modern English 'confuse'.

Initially, it meant 'to pour together, mix' (literally mixing things); over time it developed the figurative sense 'to mix up intellectually or emotionally', leading to the current meanings 'to perplex' or 'to mix up'.