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Subject:Re: Back-formate From:Barb Miller <millerb -at- TCPLINK -dot- NREL -dot- GOV> Date:Fri, 16 Dec 1994 07:57:45 MST
There's an article by Don Bush "The Friendly Editor" in the 4Q STC Technical
Communication on that very subject, only he calls it "back-formation." He has
several examples and cites sources for information. It's a good read for us
"lexes" (lexophiles).
Barb Miller
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
millerb -at- tcplink -dot- nrel -dot- gov
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Back-formate
Author: ,"Vollbach, Elizabeth" <evollbach -at- LOGICON -dot- COM> at smtp
Date: 12/16/94 2:01 AM
Why don't I remember hearing the term "back-formate" before today? I
like this term. It describes the use of, for example, "utilize" when
"use" is meant and would have been a better choice.
I was just reading a little blurb about this in an editing newsletter.
It talks about other back-formations we're used to, such as
"televise" and "edit." (I didn't know those were back-formations.)
Anyhow I thought this might be a topic I could use in my editing
column in our STC newsletter. To that end, could anyone send me other
examples of back-formations? Even if they're words that are useful
(as I think "televise" and "edit" are), I'd like to know about them.
