h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How about the current trend to 'verbise' those nouns to save words in a reduced attention span, abbreviated world and to give (political?) spin a more active feel (look we're using a verb, therefore we must be doing something...). For example 'to offer someone an incentive' becomes 'incentivise'.

I have mixed feeling about this, but I'm sure some will think a) it's a great innovation of our language and therefore should be encouraged, and others think b) it's an abomination that should be stamped on at every opportunity? Votes for a and b anyone?

I vote for b), as it seems to be symptomatic of upper-management bulls*** . And it's very American.

Have you noticed the similar trend to use -isation as a suffix as well? To use your example, an incentive scheme would become "incentivisation" (don't laugh, I have seen this one, although only once).

Then again, the only language which doesn't change is a dead one, so maybe we should celebrate the fact that English is very much alive and kicking.

LOL. So you're voting both ways in the end, Rain (bit like me).

Yes, I have come across the odd isation suffix although I have a feeling that that is more generally acceptable(?) e.g liberalisation has been in the language for a while hasn't it(?) even though liberalise isn't used to my knowledge.