pre-purchased

[FRITZ JUENGLING]

>Pre-purchased because you're not actually in possession of the thing you
>purchased yet--ownership of the yearbook is still vague (the payer 'owns'
>it without having it).

Yes, the meaning is clear, but when you order something thru the mail and send along payment, but have not received the item, would you say that you have "pre-purchased" it until it shows up?
Fritz




Dr M Lynne Murphy
Lecturer in Linguistics
Acting Director, MA in Applied Linguistics
School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
University of Sussex
Brighton BN1 9QH
UK

phone +44-(0)1273-678844
fax   +44-(0)1273-671320