Nouns as Verbs - Wordsmith.org

You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith Talk » Forums » General Topics » Weekly Themes » Nouns as Verbs

Page 3 of 12

Topic Options

#176227 - 04/22/08 01:56 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: JanetM]
tsuwm tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Registered: 04/03/00 Posts: 8655 Loc: this too shall pass	if we don't grow our business, we're going to continue to office in this same small space. -joe (cubicled) friday
Top

#176237 - 04/22/08 04:16 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: Deerhaven]
etaoin etaoin Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/24/02 Posts: 6081 Loc: Vermont	Originally Posted By: Deerhaven >Why do people hate verbing nouns so much? Because verbing wierds language.;-) J welcome, deer!
Top

#176240 - 04/22/08 07:05 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: JanetM]
The Pook The Pook addict Registered: 02/20/08 Posts: 592 Loc: Tasmania	Originally Posted By: JanetM The one that really bothers me is the current use of the verb to grow. e.g. a plant grows - that's fine; a business grows - that's fine; but I am going to grow this business - that sounds terrible to my ears. Really? Why? "I am going to grow this business" may be overly optimistic or boastful, but it's not grammatically dodgy is it? I can't remember a time when it wasn't used that way. The OED defines it as both an intransitive and a transitive verb. There's nothing strange about it having an object. "v.t. produce (plants, fruit, wool, etc) by cultivation, bring forth, let (beard etc.), develop..." - quite appropriate to use for a business I would have thought? Edited by The Pook (04/22/08 07:07 PM)
Top

#176245 - 04/22/08 08:55 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: The Pook]
Faldage Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 11496	What The Pook said. If corn can grow and you can grow corn why can't you grow a business if a business can grow?
Top

#176250 - 04/22/08 11:09 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: The Pook]
zmjezhd zmjezhd Pooh-Bah Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 1623 Loc: R'lyeh	British people believe it is -ize that is the American upstart Weird lot those Britons. Especially when it comes to the mother tongue. The suffix -ize has a zed in the original Greek. BTW, the OED opted for the form -ize. Good enough for Mr Murray, and it's goodenough for me. British English has no claim to being older than USan English or the Oz/Kiwi versions. The Cockney and the Queen are just as distant from Caedmon and Bede as I am.
Top

#176252 - 04/22/08 11:13 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: BranShea]
zmjezhd zmjezhd Pooh-Bah Registered: 08/13/05 Posts: 1623 Loc: R'lyeh	We do have a Queen but no English Many Dutch speak English because it's easier on the throat pre-morning-coffee. Dutch and Hebrew are the international languages of love: all those velar, glottal, and pharyngeal fricatives. I have been mistaken for French, German, and Italian in the countries where those languages are spoken before I opened my mouth. The Netherlands is the only place where folks seem to speak to somebody they don't personally know in English. Weird. [Fixed typo.] Edited by zmjezhd (04/23/08 09:48 AM)
Top

#176253 - 04/22/08 11:16 PM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: zmjezhd]
Jackie Jackie Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 9620 Loc: Louisville, Kentucky	a zed in the original Greek I thought she was Canadian...
Top

#176254 - 04/23/08 03:36 AM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: The Pook]
JanetM JanetM stranger Registered: 01/14/08 Posts: 3	Technically I concede that you are correct, but it still jars. Possibly this is a reflection of a generation gap as it is a relatively new use of the verb in this way, and I am just reacting against this type of business jargon.
Top

#176255 - 04/23/08 03:49 AM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: JanetM]
latishya latishya member Registered: 11/24/07 Posts: 112	Originally Posted By: JanetM Possibly this is a reflection of a generation gap as it is a relatively new use of the verb in this way, That really is a big generation gap given that the OED has the first recorded instance of this sort of usage - "To cause to increase, to enlarge." dated at 1481. If you learned English before that, then I understand why it would seem relatively new to you. Edited by latishya (04/23/08 03:51 AM)
Top

#176262 - 04/23/08 08:03 AM Re: Nouns as Verbs [Re: zmjezhd]
BranShea BranShea Pooh-Bah Registered: 06/23/06 Posts: 2007 Loc: Netherlands, the Hague	It's pure indolence that makes the Dutch speak English. So we won't have to help the English (and other foreigners) get on with "all those velar, glottal, and pharyngeal fricatives". That's why foreigners hardly get a chance to learn it. _________________________ above all shadows rides the sun (JRRT)
Top

Page 3 of 12

Previous Topic View All Topics

Hop to:

Forum Stats

6542 Members
16 Forums
12084 Topics
177783 Posts

Max Online: 853 @ 10/23/07 11:39 AM


	Wordsmith Talk		About Us \| What's New \| Search \| Site Map \| Contact Us