text as a verb

[columb]

With the rise and rise of text messaging it would seem that 'text' has become a verb as in 'I will text you when I arrive'
Purists may disagree but I feel that they are fighting a losing battle - just ask my teenage son or his peer group.
This begs the question - what is the past participle? 'Texted' seems ugly and unweildy to me. Any suggestions?

 

[Grenage]

Sent a text message" or perhaps "Sent an SMS".

 

[MakeItSo]

I feel that they are fighting a losing battle

Valid for all those thinking that the battle is lost before started, just because some teens didn't pay attention, when proper use of language was on schedule, and who now don't give a damn about the correctness of their language, cause they don't know which is correct anyway... (just like one or two commas might be incorrect here... :-D)

I know, that I am far from eloquent, but any battle for proper language is welcome! ;-)

 

[CasperTFG]

I don't think this is "Text" as a verb at all?

This is shortened form. By saying "Text" me later!, they actually mean "Send me a Text Message" later!, not "Characters" me Later.

If it was actually "Text" as a verb, then wouldn't Synonyms work in it's place?

It's the itnernet age, and everything is shortened. Instead of asking a friend to talk on a chat program, I will say IM me, Message me, MSN me, or AIM me. None of these are using those as verbs. They are shortened forms of the original scentance.

Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[columb]

Whilst I despair at illiteracy typified by misuse of words like 'literally' the technology explosion over the last few decades has brought with it a need for an associated language. Only the most pedantic would oppose the phrase 'I'll phone you' but this is the same use of a noun as verb (and an abbreviated one at that) which has passed from slang to common usage. In a similar way I am observing the noun 'text' becoming a verb, not just for a few teenagers but for most of the people I interact with.

 

[SteveGlo]

Personally I don't care how teens and kids communicate as I have virtually no contact with either. However if one comes to me wanting a job or whatever than it is in their interests to communicate with me in a form that I can understand and presumably they will make the effort.

Language evolves, younger people have always wanted to differentiate themselves from their elders, I am grateful that I don't have to speak Chaucer's English.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I think that's a valid observation, Columb, and I do think that text is being used as verb, just as phone has evolved into both a noun and verb. E-mail is another example where what was originally a noun can now function as a verb as well. I'm sure that we can find many examples of such evolution, some which have been accepted and some which have not.



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[ESquared]

I've noticed a generalization in the past about English, which can be summarized:

In English, you can verb any noun.

Which of course is using the noun verb as a verb to coin the name of this process. It is nearly true.

Think of

egg
house
bed
floor
pants (to be pantsed is to have someone yank your pants down to your knees)
pen
nose
eye
finger

Unless there is already an alternate meaning for the verb form (e.g., rock, stick) then most people would understand you no problem if in the proper context you used a random noun as a verb.

Let's see... to 'glass' something doesn't sound very convincing. But think of a sci-fi book where atomic bombs are being exchanged, and a powerful leader, viewing a picture of the enemy's stronghold, says, "Glass it over!" The reader will know he means, turn it into glass—melt everything—with a bomb.

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[CasperTFG]

In todays slang or use of english anything can be a verb... Just add the word "me" after it.

egg me
house me
bed me
floor me
pants me
pen me
nose me
eye me
finger (okay I won't go here LOL)




Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[Dimandja]

pants me?

 

[jsteph]

egg me
house me
bed me
floor me
pants me
pen me
nose me
eye me
finger...

I had a girlfriend for whom all of the above verbs applied as synonyms under the umbrella verb 'Do'.
--Jim
PS. That ink makes a mess!

 

[CasperTFG]

Sure... Pants me could be used in 2 ways...

#1 - Your getting dressed your wife has your pants in her hand and you say "Pants me" to tell her to pass you your pants.

#2 - Please don't "pants me", I'm not wearing underwear. (to be pantsed is to have someone yank your pants down to your knees)


Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[AnotherHiggins]

E[sup]2[/sup],

Several of the words on your list can have an alternate meaning when used as a verb - a meaning quite different than the noun.

egg - "Don't egg him on."
house - "He really housed those 3 large pizzas!"
bed - "...to bed the (wo)man of your dreams."
floor - "Seeing him house those pizzas really floored me."
nose - "You always nose your way into everything."

But I think I hear what you're saying...at diner one could say, "Salt me" instead of "Please pass the salt.

 

[ESquared]

I'm really confused. It seems like everyone missed the point. All the messages after mine basically repeated what I was saying! My list WAS verbs. It was also nouns.

Just about any noun can be used as a verb. The verb meaning is generally related to the noun meaning, but by definition cannot be the SAME as the noun because they are different parts of speech! I didn't think I needed to give the meanings of all the verbs I was listing.

to egg a house = throw eggs at it
to house someone = give someone a place to live
to bed someone = take to bed and have relations
to floor someone = shock (figuratively knock them to the floor)
to pants someone = yank his pants to his knees
pen something = write it
nose something = the dog nosed the bone
eye something = look at it
finger something = touch it

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[CasperTFG]

Or the ever popular... toe the line.

Casper

There is room for all of gods creatures, "Right Beside the Mashed Potatoes".

 

[sha76]

>Let's see... to 'glass' something doesn't sound very convincing

I take it that's not one that's made it over the pond then? In the UK to glass someone is to cut them with a broken glass/bottle.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[ESquared]

Interesting!

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.

 

[entaroadun]

Just curious... what slang words are used in the UK for 'knifing' someone? We use 'shank' and 'shiv'.

 

[sha76]

Ermm, I'd have said 'knifing' was slang for stabbing! Can't think of any others of the top of my head (not something I tend to keep at to the front of my mind!).

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[ESquared]

I am not familiar with shank and shiv to mean knifing. Who do you mean by 'we,' entaroadun?

I'm in California.

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.