Why do people feel the need to adjectify words that are already adjectives? For instance, “fascist” becomes “fascistic”, “economic” becomes “economical”, “ironic” becomes “ironical”. Are people really not able to recognize an adjective?
I am no wordologist, but some people think it increases their smartitude to fabricatiate new words, and abusify old ones.
People are also incapable of recognizing the verb forms of nouns. They make silly back-formations to replace perfectly good words.
orient -> orientation -> “orientate”
discriminate -> discrimination -> “discriminatizion”
declare -> declaration -> “declaratization”
Those last two have me concluding that there is no hope in this world. Prescriptivists such as me may as well give up.
DECLARATIZATION!?
Oh, I don’t know. Sounds like a perfectly cromulentic word to me.
my personal favorite is “conversate,” or “to dialogue.”
I’ll have to interface with you about dialoguing as regards your conversating skills.
Bingo!
Somebody actually used “facistic” without joking?
I can’t think of a good example but sometimes these words find a use. For instance:
to lever: use a rigid bar and firm pivot to increase your push
leverage: having a greater push due to having a lever
leverage: used metaphorically, eg. lever is advantages in negotiation.
to leverage: use metaphorical leverage.
Not quite justified, but it shows there can be a distinction in meaning.
In the movie “Good Will Hunting” the Robin Williams character uses the word “ironical” in talking to his Harvard-educated ex-roommate, who accepts the word as valid without so much as a trace of discomfort.
Expiration date - that’s the one which makes my teeth itch.
I have seen it written on labels and in official procedures.
Arrgh.
In this part of the world, people don’t “pressure”, they “pressurise”. I always think that’s such a silly waste of two perfectly unnecessary letters.
Probably because it’s a real word.
I can make up words, because I’m an expert in wordeology.
Know who uses this one a lot? J. K. Rowling. :eek:
Wait…what’s wrong with “expiration date”? I know I’ve used that one before.
Is it like PIN number of ATM machine or something–what am I missing?
Does it make it worse if it is a technical term? Is there a better way to wow a customer or colleague then by mangling terminology?
Instrumentate? Emissitivity? So many others, so much wincing. ye gods
When the yoghurt has passed its “expiration date” has it expirated*?
No, it has expired.
But when it has passed its expiry date, it has expired
*Ex-pirates are reformed vagabonds from the high seas.
So an “expiration date” would be a hot night out on the town with an ex-pirate? :eek:
That puts a whole new meaning on “Arrr, Matey!”!!
“Expiration” is the noun form of “expire” and has been for some time, though. M-W sez it’s a synonym of “expiry.”
Some of the time there are nuances which make paired adjectives reasonable. Some examples:
Magic vs. magical
Historic vs. historical
and, yes,
Economic vs economical
In each case the first form carries more significance, the second form simply categorizes. As in, if you went on a ‘magic’ date, I would assume a flying carpet or maybe being cut in two with a buzz saw was involved. ‘Magical’ dates are just extremely nice.
D-Day was an historic event. James Michener wrote historical novels.