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Moriarty
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:07 am
Post subject: is it loan or lend? |
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"...he wandered the halls of Microsoft late at night looking for someone to
loan him change ..."
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Gary Foiles
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:10 am
Post subject: Re: is it loan or lend? |
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"Moriarty" <Moriarty@leggs.com> wrote in
news:aIY_e.2737$U51.2164@news-server.bigpond.net.au:
| Quote: | "...he wandered the halls of Microsoft late at night looking for
someone to loan him change ..."
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Main Entry: LOAN
Function: transitive verb
synonym: LEND
usage: The verb loan is one of the words English settlers brought to
America and continued to use after it had died out in Britain. Its use
was soon noticed by British visitors and somewhat later by the New
England literati, who considered it a bit provincial. It was flatly
declared wrong in 1870 by a popular commentator, who based his objection
on etymology. A later scholar showed that the commentator was ignorant
of Old English and thus unsound in his objection, but by then it was too
late, as the condemnation had been picked up by many other commentators.
Although a surprising number of critics still voice objections, loan is
entirely standard as a verb. You should note that it is used only
literally; lend is the verb used for figurative expressions, such as
"lending a hand" or "lending enchantment."
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
http://www.m-w.com/ |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:13 am
Post subject: Re: is it loan or lend? |
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Moriarty wrote:
| Quote: |
"...he wandered the halls of Microsoft late at night looking for someone to
loan him change ..."
|
In the US both are standard, although I'd recommend using "lend" in
formal contexts. Also, as pointed out in a copule of the sites listed
below, only "lend" can be used in metaphorical contexts, such as "lend
enchantment." As is so often the case, the UK has deopped the usage
and now looks askance at those who have retained it. So don't try
"loan" as a verb outside the US.
Check these out:
http://www.bartleby.com/68/14/3614.html
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
http://www.bartleby.com/61/63/L0216300.html
--
Bob Lieblich
The Loan Ranger
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Daniel James
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 2:07 pm
Post subject: Re: is it loan or lend? |
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In article news:<433C66F2.3B13AAEC@verizon.net>, Robert Lieblich wrote:
| Quote: | ... don't try "loan" as a verb outside the US.
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I do hear that here in the UK. My wife is apt to use "loan" as a verb,
however much I may try to discourage her.
My view is that 'properly' (whatever that may mean) "lend" is the verb and
"loan" is the noun -- but that English, being what she is, allows us to use
verbs as nouns and nouns as verbs and calls it "expression". (That doesn't
mean that I'll accept "Let's have a lend of your pencil" and others of it's
type that your Miss Thistlebottom's English cousin tried so hard to warn us
all about at school).
I have one friend who distinguishes between "lend" (v) and "loan" (v) by
using the latter only for a formal transcation including a written
contract, payment of interest, etc.; and the former only for informal
arrangements between friends. He's say "can you lend me a fiver until
tomorrow?" but "I want to loan ten thousand pounds to buy a new car".
To each his own ...
Cheers,
Daniel. |
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Pat Durkin
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 10:19 pm
Post subject: Re: is it loan or lend? |
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"Daniel James" <wastebasket@nospam.aaisp.org> wrote in message
news:VA.00000c50.1473406d@nospam.aaisp.org...
In article news:<433C66F2.3B13AAEC@verizon.net>, Robert Lieblich wrote:
| Quote: | ... don't try "loan" as a verb outside the US.
|
">I do hear that here in the UK. My wife is apt to use "loan" as a verb,
however much I may try to discourage her.
| Quote: | My view is that 'properly' (whatever that may mean) "lend" is the verb and
"loan" is the noun -- but that English, being what she is, allows us to use |
verbs as nouns and nouns as verbs and calls it "expression". (That doesn't
mean that I'll accept "Let's have a lend of your pencil" and others of it's
type that your Miss Thistlebottom's English cousin tried so hard to warn us
all about at school).
| Quote: | I have one friend who distinguishes between "lend" (v) and "loan" (v) by
using the latter only for a formal transcation including a written |
contract, payment of interest, etc.; and the former only for informal
arrangements between friends. He's say "can you lend me a fiver until
tomorrow?" but "I want to loan ten thousand pounds to buy a new car".
And are we almost back to "borrow me a fiver"? It seems so strange to see
loan used in the way you gave as an example. (I am US midwest.) I would
say "I want ____(bank, etc.) to loan (or lend) me $10, 000." Or I might say
"I need a(the) loan of $10,000" or"I got a loan of. . ." or "He gave me a
loan of. . ."
For the _borrower_ to want "to loan $10,000" would be an oxymoron. A
strange language this English. |
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Daniel James
Guest
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 5:48 pm
Post subject: Re: is it loan or lend? |
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In article news:<fGy%e.1995$Fi3.92@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net>, Pat Durkin
wrote:
| Quote: | For the _borrower_ to want "to loan $10,000" would be an oxymoron. A
strange language this English.
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Yes, I hadn't thought about that aspect of it ... my friend *does* use
"loan" to mean "borrow" rather than (or as well as?) "lend", when using in
his formal/interest-bearing sense.
A strange language, indeed.
Cheers,
Daniel. |
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