One trend linguists have noticed recently is the increased use of verbs as nouns in structures like 'a good read'. The most common one is 'a big ask' as used by sports commentators in a situation like when a team is two-nil down at half-time. (It's 'a big ask' to expect them to come back, as Michael Howard just found out ;-) Apparently, it started in fundraising circles.
I just heard two new examples. First, Alan Hansen on Match of the Day said that the dramatic day of relegation-deciding matches on Sunday had been 'a wonderful watch'. Then last night Paul Gascoigne was on a documentary about what happens to footballers after they retire (talking to Alan Hansen, coincidentally). Talking about how much he had missed playing when he first stopped, he said 'oh yes, it was a big miss'.
It's an interesting example of some of the processes of language change. I think it would be right to say that the language system itself hasn't changed, since we have been making nouns from verbs for ages (e.g. 'a good read') but language use has changed. It also shows grownups making generalisations, i.e. they're not just saying 'a big ask' but somehow 'deciding' that verbs can be used as nouns and doing it to verbs other than 'ask'. It also gives me a couple of new ambiguity examples to use in class.
B-)
talking of verbs being used as nouns and so forth...when reading a really good book and i mean really good where you can't put it down and you feel the need to finish it all in one sitting which incidently i've only done with Stephen Kings mini 'Green Mile' books about 100 pages in length way before the full novel came out. Well I found a word in Oxfords Dictionary which clarifys what i mean and its 'unputdownable' no lie, one word in the dictionary!!
Posted by: penny boyce | September 29, 2005 at 03:45 PM