Making verbs out of the noun 'example':

When you present an example of a generalization, you exemplify it.

When you refute it with a counter-example, do you counterexemplify it?

I never thought about it until reading today's Wall Street Journal. I quote at length (ellipses omitted), because the substance is also interesting.

The phenomenon in which masses of people enthusiastically sign away their democratic rights is one that Americans especially have a hard time coming to grips with. Most Americans [are of the] view that "eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul." When it doesn't we rationalize it away.

Culture is one rationalization. In this Africa and the Arab world are too tribal [further examples]. But cultural determinism often runs afoul of reality: The example of China is counterexampled by Taiwan; Zimbabwe by Botswana; Jeddah by Dubai, Chávez by President Uribe in neighboring Columbia.

Thtis was new to me. You?

The example of China is counterexampled by Taiwan

Wouldn't the example of China is countered by Taiwan's work just as well?

Countered is how I'd have phrased it. I wouldn't even have considered counterexampled. Counterexemplified sounds clunky enough but counterexampled sounds downright ugly.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BobHale, December 04, 2007 14:48

Entering counterexample in Thesaurus.com elicits the suggestion counter-example. Entering this gives a message to the effect that there's no synonym

At times this site leaves much to be wished

My eldest boy sums it up quite well for me when he says "Verbing nouns queers the language."

I agree with zmj and Bob.

However, I looked up counterexample in Wikipedia and the meaning in logic shown there seems rather more specialised than the use of the verbed noun in that article, in any event.

Regarding Duncan's post above, see here for someone with similar views.

I miss Calvin and Hobbs. That one was great, arnie.

quote:

Originally posted by Duncan Howell:
My eldest boy sums it up quite well for me when he says "Verbing nouns queers the language."

I almost wholly agree. the boy has got a great future.

But weird and queer are verbs from adjectives in this context, not verbs from nouns. It should be "verbing adjectives queers the language." And access has been a verb since the 60s - there's no way Calvin could remember it being used only as a noun.

quote: access has been a verb since the 60s

OED dates it from 1962. Here's a 1961 example.

Sometimes, it's just too easy.

quote:

Originally posted by goofy:
But weird and queer are verbs from adjectives in this context, not verbs from nouns. It should be "verbing adjectives queers the language."

Yeah, yeah. I'll grant ya all that. But that's not the queerest thing about the sentence. Look at that strange word verbing. What is it? It's not a verb because, strangely enough, verb is a noun. It's not a gerund because a gerund is a noun formed by adding ing to a verb ( as in "Smoking is bad for you", where smoking is a noun formed from the verb smoke.) and we have already established that verb is a noun. Soooooo, lemme think...... verbing gotta be a noun,,,,ahhhhh...I think. What an interesting sentence!!!

Look at that strange word verbing. What is it?

It's the present participial form of the verb to verb, which is derived from the noun verb. If you don't like the term verbing a noun, you could always use the more formal term denominal verb. For more information, you could look at the thread I started on the same subject. Oh, but, wait. It wasn't a real question. It wasn't even a rhetorical question. Since by your implication the sentence uttered by Duncan Jr is nonsensical and meaningless. But, wait, Junior didn't coin it. It's older than he is. But, that's not all. ("Wait; I'll come in again.")

quote:

Originally posted by Duncan Howell:
we have already established that verb is a noun.

Not at all. We can't productively add ing to nouns, I don't think, therefore verb must be a verb in this context.

smoking

Smoking is French for an evening jacket.

Old English had three verbs for to smoke, in the multiple senses of to emit smoke and to fumigate: smeocan (a strong verb, whence archaic and Scots English to smeek), smican, and smocian. The third verb is probably derived from the noun (!) smoca 'smoke' (this happened in about 1000 CE).

If you throw out to verb, what happens to to ice, to water, and to profit. It's a slippery slope.

quote:

Originally posted by zmježd:
Look at that strange word verbing. What is it?

It's the present participial form of the verb to verb, which is derived from the noun verb. If you don't like the term verbing a noun, you could always use the more formal term denominal verb....... by your implication the sentence uttered by Duncan Jr is nonsensical and meaningless. But, wait, Junior didn't coin it. It's older than he is. But, that's not all.......

I love this stuff!
I love this board!!

1) It wasn`t Duncan Jr. He`s the second boy. (Although it could have been him since he`s majoring in English in college and editing the newspaper there in his spare time.)No, it was the eldest. It`s O.K. You had no way to know.

2) I didn`t mean to imply that the sentence is nonsensical and meaningless. I did mean to imply that there is something extremely interesting in there that my old, old brain ain`t gonna dig out.

3) Calvin and Hobbs started in 1985. My boy started several years before that. (I guess he isn`t a boy any more.) So, it isn`t older than him. But, I will concede that he probably didn`t coin it. I`ll ask next time I see him. I`ll let ya know...

(Wait. I`ll come in again).

quote:

Originally posted by zmježd:
If you throw out to verb, what happens to to ice, to water, and to profit. It's a slippery slope.

If you allow to verb, you must allow to icicle, to beverage, and to money. It`s a slippery slope.

Just joking. Keep smiling!!

present participial form of the verb

It's the gerund as Mr Howell said above.

And what, pray, is wrong with that?

I think I'll just pop down to the local cafe and money them so that they can beverage me, preferably with a cold drink that has previously been icicled.

(Keeping smiling)

gerund

"D'oh!" You're both right. I should've misspelled it for the perfect effect.

I did mean to imply that there is something extremely interesting in there that my old, old brain ain`t gonna dig out.

It is interesting!

Calvin and Hobbs started in 1985.

And, Bill Watterson started in '58.

Just beer me!

(Or since this is the holidays, nog me?)

Hey, Myth, it has been awhile. We've missed you!