Conversate and basically

[Beverly Flanigan]

"Conversate" was used over a year ago by an African American columnist in
our student newspaper.  What's yucky about it?

At 09:05 PM 1/23/01 -0800, you wrote:
>Conversate gets 668 hits on Alta Vista.
>
>It leaves a yucky taste in my mouth, though.
>
>Benjamin Barrett
>gogaku at ix.netcom.com
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > Behalf Of Duane Campbell
> > Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 4:09 PM
> >
> > In the Ashcroft hearings Judge White used the word "conversate" for
> > converse. I didn't think much about it -- a slip brought on by the
> > pressures of lights, cameras and obstreperous Senators. But since then I
> > have heard it twice more on C-SPAN call ins. (I don't have much of a
> > life.) Is this a mistake or growing usage?


_____________________________________________
Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm