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Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: Ela on February 29, 2008, 10:21:37 AM

Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Ela on February 29, 2008, 10:21:37 AM
For the first time today, I saw forms of the word "incentive" used as a verb.

"Let's incent people to register for our conference by offering an early-bird discount."
"Incenting people to register by offering an early-bird discount is a great idea."
"We incented early registrants last year by offering the opportunity to attend a special event."

So, is "incent" a verb now? My husband says he's heard this usage before but it sounds weird and wrong to me.

What do others think?
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Porter on February 29, 2008, 10:29:23 AM
I can't say I've heard it before, but it seems straightforward and the meaning is obvious.  I think it's fine.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Tante Shvester on February 29, 2008, 10:31:29 AM
Of course not!  Just ask Strawberry Alarm Clock.

Incents and peppermints, meaningless nouns.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Jonathon on February 29, 2008, 10:45:10 AM
I've heard it before, and I dislike it, too. What ever happened to incentivize?
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Porter on February 29, 2008, 10:50:55 AM
Quote
What ever happened to incentivize?
The same thing that happened to utilizie.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Jonathon on February 29, 2008, 10:57:05 AM
For those to be really analogous, we'd have to have a new verb util or ute.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Porter on February 29, 2008, 10:59:14 AM
Or use.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Jonathon on February 29, 2008, 11:06:26 AM
But that's not analogous for multiple reasons. Use entered the English lexicon about 600 years before utilize, and though the two are related, neither is simply a form of the other—use comes from a different form of the stem and took a different evolutionary path.

Incent, on the other hand, is simply a backformation of incentive which came after incentivize had already been coined. Also, incent and incentivize appear to be completely interchangeable, while use and utilize are not, despite their overlap.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Sheila on February 29, 2008, 11:10:44 AM
Quote
I've heard it before, and I dislike it, too. What ever happened to incentivize?
Incentivize is alive and well in the DoD.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Ela on February 29, 2008, 01:02:50 PM
Incentivize is a real word?? I have to say I've never heard that one.  
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Porter on February 29, 2008, 01:05:26 PM
I know.  It sounds to my ears exactly like utilize.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Neutros the Radioactive Dragon on February 29, 2008, 01:13:30 PM
It's not "incentivate"?

"Incentiary"?
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Jonathon on February 29, 2008, 01:14:08 PM
Quote
Incentivize is a real word?? I have to say I've never heard that one.
Yup (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incentivize)—a relatively recent coinage. And incent (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incent) was a little more recent. They both sound like business jargon to me, much like utilize, but incent sounds about ten times worse to my ears.
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Ela on February 29, 2008, 01:25:36 PM
So they're both real words, Jon? Wild.

I must be getting old.  :lol:  
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Jonathon on February 29, 2008, 01:28:56 PM
As real as anything else, I suppose.  
Title: Is "incentive" a verb now??
Post by: Ela on March 01, 2008, 09:42:02 PM
My husband told me he has never heard "incentivize" but he has heard "incentify."

(My spellcheck doesn't like either of these words.)