She text me

[Dionysiana]

I see this so often on MN; “text” used as the past tense instead of “texted”. Is this becoming accepted usage in the UK? I live abroad so am out of touch with new developments. But the birth of a new irregular verb seems odd.

I don't know what everyone else is doing but I think my head has a past simple/past definite tense which goes like this: I texted, you texted, he, she or it texted, we texted, you texted, they texted. Stay with your 'ed' OP. Let's make it a regular verb.

"to text" as a verb is a linguistic neologism and new verbs always have regular endings.
So "texted" is correct, and "text" as the past simple, isn't.
The reason why so many people make the mistake is that it's a one syllable verb with a "t" at the end. Our brains are hardwired to go "put put put" "beat" "beat" "beaten" etc and so the same (erroneously) with "text".
It's quite interesting!

I'm glad I'm not the only one. This drives me mad. It's like saying I walk yesterday or I visit last week. It's just not bloody logical!

I would write “I texted him” but when I say it it sounds like “I text him”.

I think because “ed” is a “t” in my accent and I’m too lazy to say “text-t”.

I would say “walk-t” for “walked” for example.

Maybe others are similar and just writing what they hear?

I think text is now also used as a past tense

It is, but it's not correct.

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/text_2

@Mamette "walked" does have a final /t/ sound because /k/ is voiceless. The final "t" in "text" is also voiceless but when the final sound in a regular verb is /t/ or /d/ then the "ed" ending is pronounced /id/

I just think it makes intelligent people sound daft when they say "He text me yesterday.". If text was the past participle the verb would be to Tex i.e we texed yesterday, but it's not. It's text so it should be "we texted yesterday."

walked" does have a final /t/ sound because /k/ is voiceless. The final "t" in "text" is also voiceless but when the final sound in a regular verb is /t/ or /d/ then the "ed" ending is pronounced /id/

The k in walked isn’t voiceless in my accent. Neither is the final t in text. And I would say the vowel sound in “ed” is a schwa not /i/

Relieved to know it's not only me .I've long been unsettled by the use of "he text me".
Always a pleasure to know I'm right.

It is. /k/ is voiceless in any accent, otherwise it's /g/
Likewise /t/, otherwise it's /d/
The vowel sound in "ed" after /t/ or /d/ can be either a schwa or /I/, the latter being more common.

Why does it seem odd? Language develops all the time. Just say if you don't like it. But not sure why the development seems odd.

I think people (including descriptive linguists) find this particular development odd because it's not what usually happens with language shift.
If you look at learnt/learned, dreamt/dreamed, then the irregular version came first and over a long time shifted into the regular form being accepted.
All new verbs are regular- take -ED in the past simple. The language shift is almost always FROM irregular TO regular.
The correct, standard past tense form of "text" is "texted". It just is.
There is not yet any language shift changing that. That's not how language works.

I say this even though I know it's wrong, just because it rolls off the tongue better than texted. I would write texted though.

I think it comes from people pronouncing 'text' as 'tex' (again due to it being easier to say, laziness I suppose). The past tense of which would be 'texed' and sound like the 'text' in the OP. See also the dreadful plural 'texes' that I hear around.

It is. /k/ is voiceless in any accent, otherwise it's /g/
Likewise /t/, otherwise it's /d/

Ah ok, sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying.

My original point is that I don’t really pronounce the “ed” in “texted” because for me it would be putting two “t” sounds together.

Definitely agree that the "text" as past has come about because of the pronunciation of the ending (pronunciation) of the verb! I'd guess because of the/t/ and close behind /d/ it does all run into one thing.

Everytime I see this I quietly add "ted" to the end.

Same when I see "draw" I add "ers"

One that my goat are 'those ones' when those on its own would do.

"to text" as a verb is a linguistic neologism and new verbs always have regular endings.

I assume this is true until time takes its toll and words change through usage. Hasn't this just happened very quickly because the word is in use so much? 'Text' seems to be becoming the norm. I still say 'texted'.

I saw 'text' (as past tense) in a novel I read last week, and found it irritating.

I find myself using “messaged” because I don’t like saying texted. I also mainly use WhatsApp. Perhaps I also think it gives the impression that I’m staying current, as could be referring to a social media platform.

This is an interesting point and I’m sure exactly why it happens, because it’s easier to say! It always puzzles me though…

I don't even see it as a verb. I would say "I sent a text to him".

Sadly this is utterly standard, both in spoken and written word.

I don’t say it or write it obvs.

It seems odd because it is odd, and doesn't follow the normal rules. Yes, I agree that language develops, but some of those developments are just plain wrong, and need stamping out before they take over.

My dd’s laugh at me for using texted. They say it’s text not texted.
They are wrong.