#1

Guys, whose good with English language and can help an idiot out?

I want to mention a word that’s been used in an essay I have to critique.It’s dolphining, in the context of describing a swim.

What is this then? A noun turned into an verb? Is there a term for that? I can find one for a verb turned into a noun but not vice versa.

Also do you reckon it applies as a metaphor or not?

You are all way smarter than me and I struggle with grammatical/language stuff at the best of times.

#2

It’s a gerund but not really a real one I think

#4

FFS

1 Like
#5

That’s the other way round I think

#6

I thought a gerund was verb as noun only

#7

Wiki says it’s called verbification or verbing. Not sure about this.

#8

gerunds are slightly different (a verb form acting as a noun)

denominalization is the phrase you’re after I think

#10

Because you’ve made a verb ‘to dolphin’, out of a noun, then turned that into a gerund.

#15

Yeah it sounds a bit unofficial and I do t know if I can get away with it. Suppose I could say “what is referred to by some as verbing” and that might work to show I’m unsure of the word and unsure if this term is correct but it’s the best I can do.

#16

Colleague has Dolphin as a surname
will see if he knows

6 Likes
#17

STEEEEEEVE GERUND, GERUND

1 Like
#18

it’s a kind of clever fish, they make a weird squeaky sound

HTH