incent : a big SOTA

[Baker, John]

        Are your feelings in this matter founded on a belief that there
is a preexisting and entirely satisfactory term with this meaning, on a
prejudice against back-formations or neologisms, or on esthetic
considerations relating to the sound, appearance, or associations of the
word?

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 9:46 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: incent : a big SOTA

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

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

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

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