this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2023

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English usage and grammar

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What is the name of the phenomenon in which you confuse a noun with one of its verb tenses? (Example below.) (lemmy.world)

submitted 10 months ago by favrion@lemmy.world to c/english@lemmy.ca

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For example, if you say that "feed" isn't a real word because there is a better way to say "issued someone a fee," but the real word is "feed" as in "to provide with nourishment," what would that error in judgment be called?

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[–] streetfestival@lemmy.ca 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I think you're essentially confusing homonyms (or forgetting one of them). A homonym is "One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning, such as bank (embankment) and bank (place where money is kept)."

Also, it's kind of funny that "feed" as in "issued someone a fee" isn't an accepted word when "fine" is (which is also a homonym :)