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I'm looking for a technical term for using a noun as its own verb form where such usage is not extant. For example, using intellect as a verb (to intellect). Is there such a term? It doesn't seem to be a neologism or an example of metonymy.

Mick
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  • You should have left your comments up for longer. I was in stitches. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 11:57
  • It doesn't matter. You got the answer. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:00
  • And amazingly quickly. I am impressed. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:02
  • Ha ha. It's very quick. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:09
  • And asked and answered on ELU twice before. I'm not impressed. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:09
  • I did do some research, and I looked for duplicate questions on EL&U. Unfortunately, the best way to search Stack Exchange is to use Google. That's how I come across most duplicate questions. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:14
  • @Mick It's extremely difficult to find duplicate by search here. Don't worry about it. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:15
  • @Rathony Perhaps that's why we get so many duplicated questions? – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:18
  • @Mick Unless Stack Exchange introduces a system run by Artificial Intelligence to automatically check for duplicates, there is no way we can stop users from asking duplicate questions. Also, most of the OPs, especially new, don't care about duplicate. They want just answers! That's quite understandable. What is a Q&A site for? –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:20
  • @Rathony I understand that. I have asked questions before and the software has offered some questions as possible duplicates, but this time - nada. No matter. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:30
  • @Mick The onus is certainly not on new(-ish) contributors to do more than a quick reasonable check for duplicates, but someone using the terms 'verbing', 'zero derivation' should be able to find their way around and do a backwards check for duplicates. A close-vote for duplication need not reflect on the newish enquirer, but is needed in the interests of the site. 'I'm not impressed' was directed in parallel with your comment, not back to yourself. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:38
  • @EdwinAshworth I have no complaint. It's just a little ironic that in order to perform an effective search for possible duplicates, you (sometimes) need to know the answer to your own question. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 13:35
  • @All - I think I'll delete this question. Water under the bridge and all that... – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 13:37

1 Answers1

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The most specific term for what you describe is verbification or verbing. The general term for using a word with one part of speech as another part of speech (not necessarily noun → verb) is conversion or zero derivation in linguistics and anthimeria in rhetoric.

J. Siebeneichler
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  • Anthimeria sounds perfect, and the example given, "The little old lady turtled along the road," is delightful. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 11:52
  • Please check for duplicates where they might be considered likely before rushing to add an answer. Duplicates make the site look unprofessional. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:11
  • @EdwinAshworth It's not easy for relatively new users to check for duplicates. I don't agree duplicates make the site look unprofessional. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:17
  • @Rathony It's easy enough to search for 'verbing', as I did. I'd not buy a grammar which repeated the same stuff every 300 pages. And perhaps our most valuable contributor here has mentioned the fact that repeat questions are not filtered out adequately. Why do you think there is the 'duplicate' close vote reason? – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:21
  • @EdwinAshworth Well, I also searched for duplicates. But as I said, relatively new users are not fully aware of how this site works. They don't even know they are supposed to post an answer to the duplicate master. I think it is too much to request they sholud search every single word they use in their answer. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:24
  • Rathony This user certainly does now. And you're being ridiculous; the bolded terms in "The most specific term for what you describe is verbification or verbing. The general term for using a word with one part of speech as another part of speech (not necessarily noun → verb) is conversion or zero derivation" are the sensible ones to search for. All will lead to duplicates. // What does / did 'The answer was in the linked question' mean? Why did you not bother to close-vote? – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:30
  • @EdwinAshworth Why am I being ridiculous? You are asserting that this answerer must have searched the key words in the search before posting this answer. Yeah. It would have been better and nicer, but you can't blame him for posting this answer. How many users search key words before asking or answering a question except for very experienced users like yourself or me? They will learn. Let's move on. But duplicates don't make this site look unprofessional. I don't see any relevance there. Also, do you really think ELU is professional with all those lousy and low-quality crap here? –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:33
  • This is all very instructive. Now I know how new quaerants must sometimes feel. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:34
  • Sorry about this. I don't know what I should do. Surely only admins are able to close a question as a duplicate? – J. Siebeneichler Oct 26 '16 at 12:34
  • @J.Siebeneichler The question was closed by the OP. Case closed. Don't worry. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:35
  • @J.Siebeneichler Quaerants can do that. Thanks for your input. – Mick Oct 26 '16 at 12:36
  • @Rathony 'I think it is too much to request they should [sic] search every single word they use in their answer.' was the ridiculous statement. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 12:40
  • @EdwinAshworth You can't change the way users behave here on ELU alone or with your crusade. A Meta discussion here. http://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/50358/what-is-with-people-who-answer-questions-that-are-known-to-be-dupes I agree with the two most upvoted answers absolutamente. –  Oct 26 '16 at 12:48
  • @Rathony I see that for some reason you fail to mention that the question on Meta addressing the issue (and speaking against the non-voiding of rep upvotes for answers to duplicates) received three times as many upvotes as those two answers you mention put together. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 26 '16 at 14:09
  • @EdwinAshworth The reason I didn't mention it is very obvious. It has not been implemented. That's for sure. –  Oct 26 '16 at 14:11