Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on November 05, 2006 01:22 AM
If you are a linguist, you should know that there is no such thing as a formal definition of what is or what is not a part of the English language. There are no absolute rules. Like any human language, it is a continuously evolving entity.
But more to the point, it is perfectly normal in the English language for nouns to do double duty as verbs. Basically, using nouns as verbs is such a normal part of the English language that it is a part of English grammar, whether the high-and-mighty recognise it or not. And that includes common multiword noun phrases that have gained a separate meaning from the individual words, and thus become distinct nouns in their own right.
Instead of whining, as a linguist you should be studying - the use of metaphor in everyday verbing (as illustrated by words such as 'dogging' and 'bugging') in particular show that this is a rich seem that someone should be mining. And don't forget nouning (nouns based on verbs).
Can you even tell me which came first - 'to study' or 'the study', 'to smell' or 'the smell' etc etc. I wouldn't have thought so - those words have evolved in parallel as the English language has evolved, always maintaining those verb-noun links.
Of couse you don't need to take this from me. You could just try asking another linguist. Steven Pinker would be favorite.
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Posted by: Anonymous Coward on November 05, 2006 01:22 AMBut more to the point, it is perfectly normal in the English language for nouns to do double duty as verbs. Basically, using nouns as verbs is such a normal part of the English language that it is a part of English grammar, whether the high-and-mighty recognise it or not. And that includes common multiword noun phrases that have gained a separate meaning from the individual words, and thus become distinct nouns in their own right.
Instead of whining, as a linguist you should be studying - the use of metaphor in everyday verbing (as illustrated by words such as 'dogging' and 'bugging') in particular show that this is a rich seem that someone should be mining. And don't forget nouning (nouns based on verbs).
Can you even tell me which came first - 'to study' or 'the study', 'to smell' or 'the smell' etc etc. I wouldn't have thought so - those words have evolved in parallel as the English language has evolved, always maintaining those verb-noun links.
Of couse you don't need to take this from me. You could just try asking another linguist. Steven Pinker would be favorite.
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