The Metropolis

Ballsy Debenhams changes English language because it can - makes 'anniversary' a verb

Darren Atwater | Thursday 16 September, 2010 17:11

Like all quoted companies, Debenham’s releases trading updates to the London Stock Exchange on a regular basis. But the latest update didn’t just highlight improved market share and and better net debt position it showcased the movement of an English word from noun to a verb—before our very eyes.

Debenhams: Womenswear share was impacted in 2010 by lower own bought sales densities arising out of last year’s space moves. This will anniversary as we move into the first quarter of 2011. The creation is eased by the use of ‘impacted’ in the previous sentence, impact having moved from noun to verb in the 1990s.

We are proud to medal Debenhams as Oxford Street’s Best Word Accessor.

Taking liberties with language [The Independent]
The shock of seeing a new verb anniversarying [Language Log]

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