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Tue 26 Jan, 2016 05:47 am
In dictionaries and literary works I found a number of examples of back-formed verbs, such as
1. to hand-pick (1825-35 to select personally and with care) from hand-picked ( 1540)
to hand-write (1840-50 To write (a document, text, etc.) by hand) from hand-writing (1375-1425)
2. to headhunt (1969 1)collect the heads of dead enemies as trophies 2) identify and approach to fill a business position) from headhunter (1850-55)
job-hunt (1945-50,to seek employment; look for a job) from jobhunter
3. lip-read (1880 to understand spoken words by interpreting the movements of aspeaker's lips without hearing the sounds made) from lip-reading (1852)
4. flyfish (to fish using artificial flies as lures, 1745-55) from flyfishing
5. sun-dry (dry in the sun, as opposed to using artificial heat,1805-15) from sundrying
It is obvious that some left or right parts of these verbs are the same. It seems they are formed by analogy.
That’s why I tried to form other verbs according to this model just using composition:
1. hand-finish, hand-assemble, hand-select and hand – choose.
2. to wife-hunt, to flat-hunt, to husband-hunt
3. to face-read, to smile read
4. to bread-fish, to dough-fish, to worm-fish
5. to heat-dry, to machine-dry
Will the native speaker understand them? And how should we write such verbs : separately, solidly or with a hyphen?
Moreover, I’ve found such words as whistle-blower(n) (a person who informs on someone engaged in an illicit activity) and whistle-blowing (n, adj) (the act of telling the authorities or the public that the organization you are working for is doing something immoral or illegal.). Is it possible to use the verb to whistle-blow, for example in this context: Did she whistle-blow it to the authorities?
Could you please prove your point of view, if it is impossible and give your own examples with such kinds of verbs.
@mimischka,
The whole thing is pretty idiomatic, but I've never heard "Did she whistle-blow it to the authorities?". I suggest you don't use it.