I adopted a word

Question

Yesterday on NPR there was a story about a website where you could adopt an "old" word, you just pledge to use it in verbal and written communication.  Today I went to www.savetheword.org and picked my word.  Mingent was the word I choose.  They list it as an adjective meaning discharging urine.  Later in the day, I was discussing this with my husband and we were confused.  Our confusion arose over if the word is really an adjective or, rather a verb.  The whole point of the save the word site, is to keep words alive that have been ousted from the dictonary, so I was only able to find very little information about the word, but it was always listed as an adjective.  Any help to end our confusion is greatly appreciated.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

It's listed here as an adjective.

http://www.definition-of.com/mingent

And it sounds likean adjective.

Good luck,

Clive

Mister Micawber · Answer

Hello millerfour-- and welcome to English Forums.

I won't ruminate about why you chose a Latinate medical word about a bodily function, but it hasn't disappeared [url=http://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%22mingent%22&hl=en&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images]ENTIRELY[/url]. It is indeed just an adjective, as its telltale -'ent' suffix reveals.

However, I hope you haven't paid an adoption fee, since words aren't saved or lost by conscious effort, but by general use. In just how many letters and conversations are you going to use a scientific word for peeing? And if you are trying to save mingent, are you going to abandon retromingent?

Millerfour · Answer

When I posted this it did occur to me that people would wonder about my word choice. The only real explanation I can give is that my family is a bit crass. Word choices in my home are often not seen as polite in society. Thus, I thought this word as an option for us to sound less "white trash"

Our confusion arose when we were discussing daily use of the word: I need to mingent, do you need to mingent, are you sure he mingented in the driveway, will you quit mingenting at the neighbors dog.

The action of putting "ed" and "ing" on the end would imply it a verb, since it is listed as an adjective, we took it to mean the "ed" and "ing" usages to be incorrect. There in changing the last two examples to: are you sure he went mingent in the driveway and will you quit going mingent at the neighbors dog.

Does any of that make sense?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Word choices in my home are often not seen as polite in society.--Sounds normal to me. Everybody's are, I think. The first is familar; the second is more polite, by nature of the two different situations.

Thus, I thought this word as an option for us to sound less "white trash"-- I think you may be overcompensating Now you're going to be eggheads!

Does any of that make sense?-- Uh. Sort of...but not. The word is listed as an adjective. You tried to change it to a verb (mingented, mingenting) even though you understood that as incorrect? And then go mingent would not be an adjective either; it would make it a noun...which it also isn't. So why is it that you want to change its part of speech? You're just trying to preserve it, right? I mean, you wouldn't take the adjective 'beautiful' and try to make it a verb (I beautifulled my cat this morning) or a noun (This beautiful is really...uh...beautiful, isn't it?), would you?

What am I missing?

CalifJim · Answer

millerfour I need to mingent, do you need to mingent, are you sure he mingented in the driveway, will you quit mingenting at the neighbors dog.

The action of putting "ed" and "ing" on the end would imply it a verb, since it is listed as an adjective, we took it to mean the "ed" and "ing" usages to be incorrect. There in changing the last two examples to: are you sure he went mingent in the driveway and will you quit going mingent at the neighbors dog.

Does any of that make sense?

The "ed" and "ing" usages are incorrect, as you say. But your adjectival uses are equally incorrect. You need something more like these.

There's a mingent odor in this room.
If you feel mingent, you'd better find a [bathroom / toilet].

You are going to be hard pressed to find situations in which the use of mingent makes any sense.

CJ

I adopted a word

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