SOME INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS

 

SOME INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS

Among the well known complexities that baffle the non-native English speakers/ writers, the following are quite interesting by- the way the following nouns and verbs are spelt. We are aware of the terms without perhaps devoting serious attention to the ‘culture’ in that language.                                                                                                                 

Watch the following:

While converting some nouns to verbs a ‘prefix’ is availed of. As for example--   act → ‘enact’, , courage→ ‘encourage’, gulf → ‘engulf’    slave→ ‘enslave’ ; sometimes  the adjective can be expressed to make a verb  by ‘en’  as for instance the adjective ‘able’ turns a verb ‘enable’ so also  dear→ ‘endear’.

‘Tangle’ and ‘entangle’   are not transitions between noun and verb. Interestingly ‘Tangle’ is a verb which can be a noun too on occasions, while ‘entangle’ is a verb for the noun ‘entanglement’.

For similar situations, words beginning with letters ‘B’ or ‘P’ have the prefix ‘em’ and not ‘en’

 balm→ embalm, bitter →embitter, battle→ embattle , bed → embed, brace →embrace, bay→ embay,

panel →empanel, plane →emplane,  power→ empower . There may be a number of other similar transitions and there could as well be some serious exception. Being ‘non-natives to the English language, we are constrained to learn such deviations, only when we confront the situation.

Another paradox

Birds which are stripped off their plumage are called “Dressed” [in reality they are ‘undressed’] also, blocks of stones trimmed to size are “dressed stones” and they get smaller after ‘dressing’. Another bizarre expression is ‘naked truth’ though truth is far more respectable in the real sense.

Certain functional domains like computing have brought about usages which were not the convention in traditional English. Youngsters   unaware of tradition tend use those terms in the course of interaction and cause discomfort to listeners on the callous attitude to language. Traditional usages are given in italics. Their applications in computer jargon are in the normal font.

BOOT = Long shoe or Storage space in Car. To open or start a program

Default= failure to observe the practice. Return or revert to preselected setting.

Roam = to wander aimlessly. Using the phone from a new territory

Hang = to suspend or send to gallows. A standstill state from where further commands are not discharged.

                                                                                                                                        Prof. K. Raman