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From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Noun into Verb (and vice versa)
Message-ID: <1842@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Mar-85 21:15:09 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1842
Posted: Mon Mar 18 21:15:09 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Mar-85 02:17:10 EST
References: <4800002@umn-cs.UUCP> <441@terak.UUCP> <482@harvard.ARPA> <358@talcott.UUCP>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 25
Summary: 

Function shifts using verbs as nouns, nouns and verbs, nouns as adjectives,
etc. have been around for a *LONG* time.  They didn't start with the
computer generation; they aren't classically considered poor grammar
(at least not since English dropped most of its conjugations and declen-
sions and entered the modern era); and they certainly didn't use to be
confined to curses.

One of the glories of the English language is its flexibility.

I do admit to getting somewhat shocked when I first came across
"instantiate" and "instantiation" as a tech writer.  But after thinking
for some minutes and being unable to come up with an easy elegant sysonym
(single word or phrase), I gave up and accepted them.

I'm considerably more upset by the longwinded (and reeking of Watergate)
phrases:  "at this point in time" (= now), "at that point in time" (= then),
and "at a certain point in time" (= once).

Another bothersome word is "impact," which all too often is used merely
to mean "affect" (perhaps by those who can't remember whether to write
"affect" or "effect").  I wish "impact" were reserved for "affecting with
a sudden and significant impact" OR "having a tooth erupt too near another
tooth."

--Lee Gold