Comments on: Borrow / Lend http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jean http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/comment-page-1/#comment-43645 Jean Sat, 29 Sep 2012 19:42:31 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6809#comment-43645 I moved to Minnesota (St. Paul, not rural) in 1989. I was confused when I first heard borrow used in place of loan or lend. Then I heard it, again and again. It always came from the people who grew up in Minnesota. The transplants from other states never used borrow/lend/loan in this way. "Can I borrow a pencil?" sounds correct to me, but "Can you borrow me a pencil?" grated on me! No matter what I said, the people who use this phrase felt they were right and were not interested in changing their ways. You betcha I tried though! I moved to Minnesota (St. Paul, not rural) in 1989. I was confused when I first heard borrow used in place of loan or lend. Then I heard it, again and again. It always came from the people who grew up in Minnesota. The transplants from other states never used borrow/lend/loan in this way. “Can I borrow a pencil?” sounds correct to me, but “Can you borrow me a pencil?” grated on me! No matter what I said, the people who use this phrase felt they were right and were not interested in changing their ways. You betcha I tried though!

]]> By: Simon http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/comment-page-1/#comment-43128 Simon Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:50:06 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6809#comment-43128 This reversal is also common next door in Wisconsin, but discouraged. I remember well my school teachers harping on classmates when they would ask things like "Could you borrow me a pencil?" Many in my rural area never outgrew the habit, though. This reversal is also common next door in Wisconsin, but discouraged. I remember well my school teachers harping on classmates when they would ask things like “Could you borrow me a pencil?”

Many in my rural area never outgrew the habit, though.

]]> By: gilly-yo http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/comment-page-1/#comment-42953 gilly-yo Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:41:08 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6809#comment-42953 Well, I don't think this is the first sign of a langpocalypse...and I won't get worked up about it because I have to agree with the education-level point made in DARE. Unfortunately perhaps for some regional purists, if I heard someone confound (the widely-accepted usage of) "borrow" with "lend" (or "teach" with "learn," which I have also heard), I would make serious assumptions (right or not) about his level of education (and assume it to be little). Unless it was a hipster trying to be ironic. Then I would just assume he was kind of an ass. Well, I don’t think this is the first sign of a langpocalypse…and I won’t get worked up about it because I have to agree with the education-level point made in DARE. Unfortunately perhaps for some regional purists, if I heard someone confound (the widely-accepted usage of) “borrow” with “lend” (or “teach” with “learn,” which I have also heard), I would make serious assumptions (right or not) about his level of education (and assume it to be little). Unless it was a hipster trying to be ironic. Then I would just assume he was kind of an ass.

]]> By: Ben Wrankle http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/comment-page-1/#comment-42941 Ben Wrankle Mon, 27 Aug 2012 10:57:24 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6809#comment-42941 In Viennese German (at least, which is the sort I'm most familiar with), the words "borgen" (borrow) and "leihen" (lend) are sometimes confused. As I think of it, though, it seems something that happens mostly among children there as well. In Viennese German (at least, which is the sort I’m most familiar with), the words “borgen” (borrow) and “leihen” (lend) are sometimes confused. As I think of it, though, it seems something that happens mostly among children there as well.

]]> By: Yael http://www.word-detective.com/2012/08/borrow-lend/comment-page-1/#comment-31728 Yael Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:21:15 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=6809#comment-31728 My native tongue, Hebrew - which works on the root system, where [mostly] 3-consonant roots are fitted into various 'molds' (I'm sure there's a more professional way to describe this, but I'm not familiar enough with the terminology) - has the same root for borrowing and lending, in two different verb molds. Oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly?), the same kind of confusion happens here, too, with people using the 'borrow' verb form instead of the 'lend' one. My native tongue, Hebrew – which works on the root system, where [mostly] 3-consonant roots are fitted into various ‘molds’ (I’m sure there’s a more professional way to describe this, but I’m not familiar enough with the terminology) – has the same root for borrowing and lending, in two different verb molds. Oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly?), the same kind of confusion happens here, too, with people using the ‘borrow’ verb form instead of the ‘lend’ one.

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