incent : a big SOTA

[Jonathan Lighter]

"The conspicuous SOTA label identifies linguistic Signs Of The Apocalypse only. Those uninterested in such Signs (and Wonders) may delete without reading any message so labeled." --- _Compu-Guide to Linguistic Apocalypses_.

  JL

"Dennis R. Preston" <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Dennis R. Preston"

Subject: Re: incent : a big SOTA
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Wouldn't it be better to enforce personal language prejudices on the
LPS-L (Language Police Society List) than here at ADS-L.

dInIs



>How many are aware that English contains a verb "to incent," meaning
>"to provide with and incentive" ? I sure didn't, at least not until
>Governor George Pataki (R. -N.Y.) promised a few minutes ago to
>"incent consumers" to switch to ethanol.
>
> Making the situation far more dire is that my OED colleagues can
>prove that "incent" has been in print at least since 1977. After
>nearly thirty years, we should not be surprised to learn that even
>little children, somewhere, are learning to lisp it. One can only
>prophesize that these little children will soon be incented to grow
>the economy.
>
> Won't you join me in taking the Pledge never to use the discrete
>phonemic sequence "incent" in speech or writing as long as you live,
>and beyond if possible ? And won't you do your best to scourge and
>discomfit the misguided souls who do use it ?
>
> JL
>
>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
15C Morrill Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4736
preston at msu.edu

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org




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 PhotoMail  - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail.

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