Patina - ed

Question

HelloI saw this in a book on the flooding of Nouvelle Orleans in 2005The streets were patina-ed with leaves and debris.What does this mean patina-ed.Does all verbs ending with a need they slash ed at the end for past tense?.thanks

Avangi · Accepted Answer

SiernanThe streets were patina-ed with leaves and debris.

In this case it's a made-up usage.

"Patina" is a noun, referring to the build-up caused by natural ageing on a surface, such as that of an antique.
If you wanted the article to look "new," you'd probably scrape it off, but if you wanted it to look "antique," you'd leave it alone.

Here, it's a bit figurative. The "coating" on the streets was everywhere, so it almost looked natural - as if it belonged.

"Patina" is not a verb, but is used as one here in the passive, as though it had been done by some "agent."

Perhaps some antique-restoring experts use it as a verb, meaning to artificially add the coating in order to simulate aging.

When the word doesn't exist as a verb, I suppose you can add "-ed" to create a faux past participle.

I guess you could call it a nonce word. When it becomes popular, the hyphen will be dropped.

Edit.

There are transitive verbs ending in "a" whose past participles and past tenses end in "aed."
subpenaed
defleaed

umbrellaed
mascaraed
pajamaed
diplomaed
cupolaed

Probably at one time these only existed as nouns. (Well, "deflea" is definitely a verb!)

And "umbrellaed" is probably not transitive, although you might say,
"I umbrellaed my children, and sent them off to school." (Like, "I booted them.")

Siernan · Answer

thanks for your very great explanation

Siernan · Answer

if the verb does exist is it still -ed if ending with a

Avangi · Answer

Siernanif the verb does exist is it still -ed if ending with a

Hi,

See the Edit. in my post. - A.

Siernan · Answer

thanks again

Anonymous · Answer

I'm no linguist, but I used to be a jeweller, and surely the verb form of patina is 'to patinate' (http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/Patinate )?
So the streets should have been patinated with leaves.

Anonymous · Answer

Patina-ed in brass/bronze hardware (door or cabinet) or in general with metals is used to described the natural aging process of bronze metal finishes and brass plated finishes that are not protected by lacquer or wax. The finish color will naturally darken/lighten up as it ages. We say that "the hardware has patina-ed naturally as it should"

Patina - ed

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions