# Is 'primer' ever a verb? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 5, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061 "2015-09-05T18:41:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/21 "2015-09-07T03:42:11Z")
Where I grew up, we prime walls, with primer. Saying “primer the walls” is a bit like saying “get orientated.” ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/22 "2015-09-07T05:03:54Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > Well… at this point, the English language has pretty much accepted that any noun can be used in place of a verb. I often hear this, but really I think it’s always been like this (that is, it’s not a “recent phenomenon”), and other languages do it, too. ([This soon-to-be-released book](http://www.amazon.com/Word-formation-International-Handbook-Languages-Europe/dp/3110375664) has some chapters on how other European languages do it.) I think it is just the nature of language. Words–in and of themselves–don’t necessarily possess an innate determination of their class. Yes, some word classes are more “closed” than others, such as prepositions, but that’s because there’s no need to create more prepositions, not because of the prepositions themselves (and prepositions can function as adjectives). It’s really through syntax (and usage) ultimately that open word classes like nouns, verbs, and adjectives can be so flexible, not the words themselves. A noun _is_ a verb when it’s in the verb position, simply because it’s in the verb position, not because it went through some kind of existential transformation. The syntax is what does it. When dictionaries list parts of speech, it’s a reflection of usage. I do think, though, that, because English verbs don’t have a standard base form, English speakers might more readily put words traditionally from other classes into the verb’s place. That is, the morphology of verbs in other language might make them less productive in this way–but I still believe it happens, and has always happened. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/23 "2015-09-07T15:58:57Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I often hear this, but really I think it’s always been like this (that is, it’s not a “recent phenomenon”), and other languages do it, too. ([This soon-to-be-released book](http://www.amazon.com/Word-formation-International-Handbook-Languages-Europe/dp/3110375664) has some chapters on how other European languages do it.) > > I think it is just the nature of language. Words–in and of themselves–don’t necessarily possess an innate determination of their class. Yes, some word classes are more “closed” than others, such as prepositions, but that’s because there’s no need to create more prepositions, not because of the prepositions themselves (and prepositions can function as adjectives). > > It’s really through syntax (and usage) ultimately that open word classes like nouns, verbs, and adjectives can be so flexible, not the words themselves. A noun _is_ a verb when it’s in the verb position, simply because it’s in the verb position, not because it went through some kind of existential transformation. The syntax is what does it. When dictionaries list parts of speech, it’s a reflection of usage. > > I do think, though, that, because English verbs don’t have a standard base form, English speakers might more readily put words traditionally from other classes into the verb’s place. That is, the morphology of verbs in other language might make them less productive in this way–but I still believe it happens, and has always happened. Just to clarify, in English there is no morphological marker for verbs, so you can just use the unadulterated noun as a verb. In German, all verbs end in -en in the infinitive and new verbs usually in -ieren that further characterizes them. In French, all verbs end in -er, -re, or -ir and new verbs almost always in -ir. There is no such thing in English, so primer, phonebook, google, are all verbs as is. Of course, they accept endings: he primers walls, he has primered walls, he is primering the wall, and finally, he is a wall primerer. (And you cannot verb that last noun.:smack:) ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/24 "2015-09-08T15:13:57Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Of course, they accept endings: he primers walls, he has primered walls, he is primering the wall, and finally, he is a wall primerer. (And you cannot verb that last noun.:smack:) When you hire a guy to primer the walls, you have primerered your work crew. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/25 "2015-09-08T17:46:34Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I often hear this, but really I think it’s always been like this (that is, it’s not a “recent phenomenon”), and other languages do it, too. ([This soon-to-be-released book](http://www.amazon.com/Word-formation-International-Handbook-Languages-Europe/dp/3110375664) has some chapters on how other European languages do it.) I’m not exactly sure of the history either, but I didn’t mean to imply that it was a new thing. There are too many noun-verb pairs for this to be a new thing, and some are pretty old. For example, _smith_ is an occupation, a person, a place and a verb all at the same time. We didn’t make that one up in the 20th Century. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/26 "2015-09-09T06:04:28Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > When you hire a guy to primer the walls, you have primerered your work crew. 😉 If you do this, you have chosen to boldly primerer where no contractor has primerered before. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/27 "2015-09-09T16:26:41Z")
How about this one: If you can primer the walls, can you printer a spreadsheet? ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061/28 "2015-09-09T18:44:39Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > How about this one: If you can primer the walls, can you printer a spreadsheet? If you prime the walls with primer, can you paint the walls with painter? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-primer-ever-a-verb/730061.md?page=1)