Birthing. To birth. blerg

[Habbibu]

Have decided I don't like this. (word, not activity, though that did hurt...) Now, I'm not technically a pedant, being a descriptive linguist by training, and any noun can be verbed, but I just don't like this at all. Much prefer "give birth". Who's with me?

actually I think birthing has rather an anglo-saxon ring to it that I like ... what are its origins?

I agree.
I don't like nouns being verbed - 'let's party' or 'we summer in the Lake District'. Bleurg!

I think 'to spawn' adds a certain je ne sais quoi.

ah Old Norse possibly

"Origin: 1150?1200; ME byrthe < Scand; cf. OSw byrth; c. OE gebyrd, OHG giburt, Goth gabaurths] "

Oh yes, it's definitely give birth. It's not a sodding verb!

Oh, now, I like 'to spawn'.

Hmm - the verb is chiefly US usage, according to OED.

[Early ME. byr{th}(e, bur{edh}(e, bir{th}(e, probably, since the form is foreign to OE., a. ON. byr{edh}(i)r str. fem. (OSw. byr{th}, Da. byrd), genit. bur{edh}ar (on which Icelandic formed a new nominative bur{edh}r masc.); = Goth. ga-baur{th}s:{em}OTeut. (ga-)bur{th}i-z, f. the stem of ber-an to BEAR, with suffix -{th}i- (= Aryan -ti-s, cf. Skr. bhrtís, OIr. brith). The OTeut. word had shifting stress, and consequently, according to Verner's law, {th} and d interchanged in the inflexion: in ON. and Goth. these were levelled under {th}, but in WGer. under d (High G. t), in OS. giburd, OHG. giburt, burt (MHG., mod.G. geburt), OE. {asg}ebyrd. The latter was prob. the source of ME. BIRDE, burde, ?race, descent?; but could hardly be that of birth, unless the latter was assimilated to ns. in -{th}, -{th}e, or influenced by ON. For the final -e of ME. byr{th}e, cf. ME. der{th}e a. ON. dyr{edh}, and see -TH1.] Tee hee!

acc to dict def it's a S Mids variation to use it as a vern

though gebyrth presumably a verb (need to brush up on OE)

so 'birth' as verb going back to Nordic origins?

Indeed. Quite what they said before the Norse arrived I don't know... Hwaet? To be shouted as baby arrives?

I thought so. A good strong word and sounds vaguely rude

at moment of crowning perhaps

ooh habbibu are you a linguist too? what kind?

However 'birthing' is OK in ..um.. I suppose its adjectival usage 'birthing stool' and hence the more recent 'birthing pool'

I don't mind birthing that much though I know what you mean. But there is some verbing I can't stand, especially:
holidaying
lunching - even worse in conjunction with "off" as in "we lunched off quiche and potato salad" ack ack ack!
breakfasting - uuuurrrhh
and worst of all - snacking aaaarrrrrrrgggggh!

If i see a product in the supermarket that bleats "perfect for snacking!" on the packaging then it goes straight back on the shelf.

I reckon that it's because the verb "deliver" has been transferred to the health care provider and "birthing" sounds more proactive than "give birth" which sounds as though the woman doesn't have much to do with it. It does sound dreadful though, and I admit that it makes my teeth itch.

do people really say 'lunching off'? haven't come across that one. tho' in Alice they 'dined on mince and slices of quince', so you dine on something and lunch off it?

'ow queear.

i'm off to breakfast through some bagels now

It's quite old fashioned but you do see it around
an example here
We lunched off sandwiches en route..."

oops

isn;t mince and quince the owl and the pussycat?

which they ate off of a runcible spoom

spoon

and prob from now I think of it

with

anyway

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand.
They danced by the light of the moon, the moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

"Give birth" is certainly correct and sounds much better. I think 'birthing' has a sort of more hippyish/alternative ring to it - hence assoc with Birthing pool etc I suppose

I don't mind 'snacking' but I have heard 'lunching' & 'holidaying' quite a lot recently and the hairs on my neck shudder vigorously at the thought

you're right of course effie

was getting confused with the ships and sealing wax one

only got a c for eng lit

so i guess that is 'lunched orf'?

walrus and the carpenter, here

www.jabberwocky.com/carroll/walrus.html

I love that poem, used to know it by heart but brain has addled