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Questions tagged [nouns]

This tag is for questions about nouns. Nouns are words that refer to an entity, quality, state, action, or concept. Add this tag to single-word-requests if you are looking for a noun. Add the tag word-usage if you are asking about the usage of the noun.

202 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
4 votes
1 answer
290 views

Is there a word equivalent to "sighting" but for hearing?

I'm trying to write a sentence like Nobody goes near the caves because of monster noises. "Nobody goes near the caves because of monster sightings" doesn't work because people have not ...
user478748's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
151 views

How did -ing become a suffix for both present participles and nouns derived from verbs?

In non-modern and non-Middle-English Germanic languages, present participles and nouns derived from verbs look and sound very different: English: wend - wending - wending Middle English: wenden - ...
Vun-Hugh Vaw's user avatar
  • 5,401
3 votes
1 answer
74 views

Nouns which change meaning in question/statement form

Most questions, when converted into statements, retain their overall "meaning", i.e. the statement is asserting what the question is asking. Question: Can you grate the pears? Assertion: ...
Nico A's user avatar
  • 151
3 votes
0 answers
125 views

Difference between 'gain optimization' and 'gains optimization'

What is the difference between gain optimization and gains optimization in a financial context? I want to know in particular if one of those terms is better English, or if they have different ...
Boyboy's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
124 views

Abbreviate one noun when combined with another that has same ending

Sorry for the probably a bit inappropriate title, I also didn't really know what to google for. My question is, if a have a sentense like "... due to the lack of scalability and maintainability" can ...
po.pe's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
2 answers
924 views

The state of not knowing and/or ignoring each other

I'm looking for a word that expresses the state of not knowing and/or ignoring each other. In a blog post, I've found the term Principle of Mutual Oblivion. This is supposed to be a rule in software ...
R2C2's user avatar
  • 131
2 votes
0 answers
326 views

"Such" as a part of speech, and similar words

The word "such" seems to fit under a few different categories. It could be arguably classified as: A noun - "The movie would only be of interest to such as enjoy mindless explosions ...
Rivers McForge's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
206 views

When a noun phrase can act as the post-modifier?

According to Oxford Learner's Grammar by John Eastwood [ISBN:0-19-437-597-8], page 187; it is possible for a noun phrase to act as a postmodifier of the head noun. Example: The weather that day was ...
Marat Pussurmanov's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
47 views

What does an operative operate?

I’m trying to come up with a word which describes the thing an operative operates upon. That is, the target of the operation. For example, if a surgeon operates on a patient, and a chauffeur operates ...
Stephen Lewis's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
75 views

Is there a technique used when someone splits a compound noun into two parts?

My student has asked whether the splitting of the compound word keyhole into key hole is a particular literary technique. I didn't know! It's relevant to the text, as it is about disconnection and ...
Marnie's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
0 answers
3k views

When to use "-er" vs "-or" as a suffix in verbs - a comprehensive example (a developer's perspective)!

It's been many times when it comes to decide whether to use "-or" or "-er" as an agent noun suffix to a verb. My native (mother language) is Greek, and I'll try to provide you a way to think before ...
javase's user avatar
  • 53
2 votes
0 answers
618 views

Rules on noun+noun structures

Although there are plenty of grammar topics that I occasionally struggle with, there is one that causes the most trouble. Lately, I have been writing a lot of technical instructions and manuals, in ...
Don Draper's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
197 views

is there a term for when you use two words with a slash in between to label something?

If I used the label religiosity/spirituality, would it be called a compound label or something like that?
Dani's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
1 answer
10k views

Pre-booking vs booking?

I came across this work in my work, I am not sure which one to use for a screen menu in our application, "pre-booking" or "booking". This menu will allow users to book their work schedule in advance. ...
karthickj25's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
184 views

"the rustle of tires" vs "the rustling of tires": pompous or not, is there a rule, or is it random?

Scene: high school. Time: the present. A teacher went through a student's essay in which an out-of-the-way house in the sticks was described. It (the house) sat in the middle of a picturesque grove, ...
Ricky's user avatar
  • 20.4k

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