commentate, commentator

commentate, commentator
Since the word commentator has become well known because of radio and television, people generally have felt the need for a verb to describe what a commentator does. Thus a neologism has been born. The phrase "to commentate a game (or fashion show)" is considered dubious usage by most authorities. Why not stick with comment, comment on, describe, or narrate?

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • commentate — See commentate, commentator …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • commentator — See commentate, commentator …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • commentate — 1794, to comment, back formation from COMMENTATOR (Cf. commentator). Meaning to deliver commentary is attested from 1939 (implied in commentating) …   Etymology dictionary

  • commentate — [käm′ən tāt΄] vt. commentated, commentating [back form. < COMMENTATOR] to write or deliver a commentary on vi. to perform as a COMMENTATOR (sense 2) …   English World dictionary

  • commentator — late 14c., writer of commentaries, agent noun in Latin form from COMMENT (Cf. comment) or COMMENTARY (Cf. commentary) (L. commentator meant inventor, author ). Middle English also had a noun commentate, attested from early 15c. Meaning writer of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • commentate — is an unsurprising back formation from the noun commentator. It is first recorded as a rare word from the late 18c in the general sense ‘to comment’, and was revived in its current use in sports broadcasting in the 1950s, when a more definite… …   Modern English usage

  • commentator — see under commentate at REMARK vb …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • commentate — /kom euhn tayt /, v., commentated, commentating. v.t. 1. to deliver a commentary on: to commentate a fashion show. 2. to write a commentary on; annotate: to commentate the Book of Job. v.i. 3. to serve as a commentator: The senior staff member… …   Universalium

  • commentate — com•men•tate [[t]ˈkɒm ənˌteɪt[/t]] v. tat•ed, tat•ing 1) to deliver a commentary on 2) to serve as a commentator • Etymology: 1785–95; from commentator usage: The word commentate, now in common use, is occasionally criticized as journalistic… …   From formal English to slang

  • commentate — verb ( tated; tating) Etymology: back formation from commentator Date: 1794 transitive verb to give a commentary on intransitive verb to comment in a usually expository or interpretive manner; also to act as a comm …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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