Verbs from nouns: Ben Franklin's take

Question

AUE now and then erupts with renewed outrage over the conversion of nouns to verbs. Remembering those outbursts, I find it interesting to read, in William Safire's "On Language" column in today s New York Times, about Benjamin Franklin's comments on that subject. He strongly disapproved of the nouns "notice", "advocate", and "progress" being converted to verbs.

Mr Safire's article is at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/magazine/06ONLANGUAGE.html . `

When I read postings condemning the conversion of nouns, I like to recall that "shovel" was a noun for a long time before it was a verb.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

} AUE now and then erupts with renewed outrage over the } conversion of nouns to verbs. Remembering those outbursts, } I find it interesting to read, in William Safire's "On } Language" column in today s New York Times, about Benjamin } Franklin's comments on that subject. He strongly } disapproved of the nouns "notice", "advocate", and } "progress" being converted to verbs. } } Mr Safire's article is at } http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/magazine/06ONLANGUAGE.html } . ` } } When I read postings condemning the conversion of nouns, I } like to recall that "shovel" was a noun for a long time } before it was a verb.

Of course "shovel" the verb should have the accent on the second syllable.

-- R. J. Valentine

Usenet · Answer

On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 03:02:25 -00, R J Valentine (Email Removed) said:
[nq:1] } AUE now and then erupts with renewed outrage over the } conversion of nouns to verbs. Remembering those ... time } before it was a verb. Of course "shovel" the verb should have the accent on the second syllable.[/nq]
Not so.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]AUE now and then erupts with renewed outrage over the conversion of nouns to verbs. Remembering those outbursts, I find ... of nouns, I like to recall that "shovel" was a noun for a long time before it was a verb.[/nq]
Very interesting, including the parts dealing with the capitalization of nouns (I think I and fellow users of British English have a tendency to overcapitalize, i.e. when in doubt, capitalize, so I'm glad to have some historical support :-) ), and comfort food. c.f. British "nursery food", often referring to puddings served with custard, said to be beloved of males of our governing classes (perhaps because it was a substitute for parental love when they were growing up at boarding school, but that might be a bit too Freudian :-) )).

I know that verbing nouns did not start over the water and the process has been going on for centuries, but some usages still distress me, such as the one our retailers are very fond of: "sourcing" goods, etc. If it adds something, all well and good, but I feel that all too often businesses feel they all have to talk in identical language, leading to that feeling of deja vu all over again when reading the next flyer or website. What happened to diversity?

Not a verbing, but a political usage which makes my nails feel they've been rubbed on a blackboard is "in-place", applied to policies. You always know it's an admission of failure of one sort or another when you are told that such and such a policy is now "in place" (e.g. "the stable door is now in place, although it is true that the horse has bolted"). hm.. "placed"? A government spokesman said: "We realise that people have been waiting far too long for their tax credit payments, but we have placed new procedures to deal with the problem." hm.

-- (Email Removed)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Mr Safire's article is at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/magazine/06ONLANGUAGE.html[/nq]
[nq:1]Very interesting, including the parts dealing with the capitalization of nouns (I think I and fellow users of British English ... parental love when they were growing up at boarding school, but that might be a bit too Freudian :-) )).[/nq]
Safire's bit about comfort food is wrong, if this contribution to ADS-L is to be believed: http://tinyurl.com/g9s2. (For what it is worth, I am generally willing to believe that Safire is wrong. His fact checking has gotten sloppy in recent years.)

Richard R. Hershberger

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1] (For what it is worth, I am generally willing to believe that Safire is wrong. His fact checking has gotten sloppy in recent years.)[/nq]
He doesn't do any fact checking. The former speech writer for Spiro Agnew has minions to do that for him. And they do, sort of. ~~ 02 May 2003 From: "Kathleen E. Miller" @NYTIMES.COM> Subject: Query, Arabic Naming Traditions To: (deleted)@LISTSERV.BINGHAMTON.EDU

Mr. Safire is interested in the tradition of naming oneself Abu + first born son's name.

(Building upon that misapprehension, the query continues with additional misapprehensions, some of them unintentionally humorous.)

Best, Kathleen E. Miller Research Assistant to William Safire The New York Times --

Verbs from nouns: Ben Franklin's take

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions