Change is inevitable in a living language; even the spines that cling to it, like lampreys, will change over time. The grumbling, whining and irritation around your grandparents’ English is often different from what you encounter today. For proof of this shift, we need look no further than the feelings people for much of the 20th century had for the word. contactwhen it is used as a verb means “to call or write to (someone or something).”
Do not contact anyone: contact him, call him, write to him, find him, tell him. -Sheridan Baker, The Complete Stylist1966
As a transitive verb, the word is ambiguous and self-important. Do not contact everybody; Contact them, search for them, call them, find them or meet them. -William Stronk and EB White, Elements of styleFourth Edition, 2000
For much of the 20th century, commentators on usage opposed the use of ‘contact’ as a verb. These days, it is widely accepted.
These are rather light condemnations of the word and do not express the extent to which contact bother everyone. Some people object to it being used as a verb, while others accept its verb tense, but think it should only be used as an intransitive (meaning it will not be used as a verb). has a direct object). Rex Stout, the mid-20th century mystery novelist, asked his famous protagonist, Nero Wolfe, to convey a deep and nagging sense of dissatisfaction with his users. contact as a verb of any kind.
“I went to Richdale and inquired. I worked with a young woman—you know, I’m especially effective with young women—““Contact is not a verb and I kept it short.” “Yes sir. The last time you told me I looked up the dictionary and I certainly didn’t want to contradict you but it said contact is a verb. Transitive or intransitive. must be a verb under this roof.” – Rex Stout, Black Orchid1942
I should have warned them that using the word “contact” as a verb was not allowed in that office. Now Wolfe will have it for him. – Rex Stout, And become a villain1948
“About a month ago, I ran an ad in the New York newspapers, and I contacted the New York police, and—What happened?” “Nothing. Keep going.” It wasn’t for nothing. Wolfe grimaced… A man who made “contact” a verb in that office paid an extra thousand dollars for that privilege, even though he didn’t. know that.” – Rex Stout, Can Also Be Dead1956
Despite Nero Wolfe’s strong feelings on the matter, contact obviously is a verb, and most people today use it as a verb. In fact, it seems to have started being used as a verb not long after people started using it as a noun; both parts of speech date back to the 17th century. For a long time, most people had no problem using either, but in the early 20th century the usage was contact as a transitive verb gained popularity in North America, especially in business conversations, and soon everyone was boycotting it.
In terms of mere creativity, few complaints are quite similar to that of FW Lienau, an executive at Western Union, as stated in a memo to his employees: “Where is it? There on this just earth lay his obnoxious presence, a man who, for the common good, should have been destroyed in his infancy. He is the originator of the hideous vulgarism in the use of contact as a verb. As long as we can meet, contact, get to know, be introduced, call, interview or talk to people, there can be no apology for contact.” We may all have some problems with the way the English language develops, but few of us have the irritation and poetry needed to start our complaints with a line, for example. like “somewhere on this fair earth his obnoxious presence…”
One of the early reports on this memo came from the weekly New York magazine common prosperity, which wrote approvingly “We all support Mr. Lienau. He seems like the man who deals with something else that affects us: with ‘name’nadvertisementdress,’ for example, all but universal; with people who ‘meet’ someone; with a ‘slender’ style…”
By the end of the 20th century, there was a general acceptance of transitions contact, even among those who think the language became poorer as it was added. Second edition of Harpers Dictionary of Contemporary English Usagepublished in 1985, wrote “When contact first appearing as a verb to mean “contact” or “go see”, connoisseurs of the language were appalled by it… Usage has outlasted the scorn of people purists and contact accepted by some dictionaries as a colloquial verb.” They took pains to note that “‘colloquial’ means it is acceptable for informal conversation and writing but not for formal speeches and articles,” before moving on to ask the panel. arbitrate their internal language to see how they feel about the matter.
Some of them feel good with contact others. But Heywood Broun replied, “I don’t use business jargon.” Edwin Newman wrote “No, I used to but not because I learned better.” Most of the panelists seemed to have accepted the use, despite a feeling of doubt. George Cornish wrote “I will Are not say ‘Contact him,’ but I no longer argue with people who do. And Walt Kelly sighed and said, “I suppose, after acknowledging the camel’s nose, we can also acknowledge the camel, but it would make a messy tent.”
The noise surrounding this odd controversy has subsided to a whisper (we didn’t even receive any complaints online left in the comments about this use). However, in case some of you have heard that this is something a person should avoid, then you need not worry; you can use contact as any kind of verb you want. The usage note created by our editors for this meaning provides an admirably concise approach to the problem: “The use of contact as a verb, especially in the sense 2b , accepted by most commentators, with the exception of college handbook writers.”
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
