Patina past tense??
OK, I need to figure this out once and for all! What is the proper
grammatical term for this? Needless to say it’s not in any English
language reference book I can find.
You put a patina on a piece, say, with liver-of-sulphur. In the
description, or in writing a paper, you want to use “patina” not as
a noun, but as a past tense verb, adverb, whatever.
So is it
"Patinaed with LOS…“
or
"Patinated with LOS…”?
Thanks;
Lin Lahlum
patinate v. patinated, patinating, patinates. -tr. 1. To furnish with
a patina. -intr. To acquire or become covered with a patina.
Dr. Del Pearson
Designs of Eagle Creek
http://www.eaglecreekcs.com
I’ve always seen it as “patinated”. But I checked a couple of
dictionaries and either is correct. Hey - my spell checker just
wanted to change "patinated’ to “patinaed”.
“Patinaed with LOS…”
or
“Patinated with LOS…”?
I avoid things like this like the plague. I would say “applied
patina” or “with patina application”. I think of the former
presidents and vice presidents who have looked so silly when they
have accidentally made up a new word…“normalcy” “nucular”
“potatos” etc. Actually, to save face “normalcy” and the
pronunciation of nuclear as “nucular” were both added to the English
language, but “potatos” didn’t cut it. I hope I am remembering my
history correctly
Kim
Merriam Webster on-line says:
Main Entry: pat-i-nate
Pronunciation: 'pa-t&-"nAt
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat-ed; -nat-ing
transitive verb : to give a patina to
intransitive verb : to take on a patina – usually used in the past
participle
Pam Farren
Newburyport, MA
Howz-about… ‘Given an aged appearance’. : )
Indigo
Allen Howells
I think that the term is patinated. I have seen this term in books
describing antique pieces.
Dennis
Lin,
“Patinated” would be the correct standard English term. For some
reason, lots of us editors let ourselves get sucked into “patinaed”
– maybe we didn’t take out our dictionaries because we’re so used
to non-standard industry usages, it never occurred to us that this
was standard English. I I plead guilty on that count! Finally checked
my dictionary, and there’s the definitive answer: “patinated” is the
past tense of patinate – which is what you do when you apply a
patina. I’m not sure why I accepted “patina” as a verb in the first
place. There was no need to invent a new word – good 'ol Webster’s
had one all along.
Suzanne
– who is blushing with embarassment at ever having used “patinaed.”
Suzanne Wade
Writer/Editor
(508) 339-7366
Fax: (928) 563-8255
www.rswade.net
Patina past tense??
Merriam-Webster has entries for patina and the verb patinate. The
past tense is patinated.
James S. Duncan, G.G.
James in SoFL
Hi Lin,
Tough one! My favourite litle computer dictionary (WordWeb, free,
lives in the task bar) only has “patinated” and
"patinised/patinized".
I can’t think of a similar noun that ends in “a”, but “texture”,
“pattern” and “paint” all have the “ed” suffix. Having “a” as the
last letter is the problem, it must be latin. I am also looking
forward to a complete answer.
Alastair
Hi Lin,
I think the term “patinated with LOS” is the correct usage.
Best,
Sue/Vancouver
Thanks to all who helped: there seems to be "dictionary plus usage"
unanimity here! I didn’t trust the dictionary because I thought
there might be disagreement between it and common usage among
metalsmiths.
“Patinated” just sounded awkward to me. (Like someone in an unpaved
area wearing pattens over their shoes in the muddy street…)
“Patinaed” somehow looked and sounded better.
Lin Lahlum
“Patinated” just feels right. I’m good at this, based on Mom’s
college work being on speech pathology and drama, and good
surroundings growing up. “Patinaed” feels more Latin with the "ae"
letter combination, like “alumnae” or “typothetae”.
I don’t place much faith in spell-check because it can be duped. I
can horde food for winter, and face hoards of marauding Huns, and be
wrong on both usages, yet correct by spell-check.
The rules of English kicked in for me when I stopped trying to make
logical sense of all of them. On some points, I just surrendered.
Whatever you say, teach. I’m outta here in 9 weeks, and you’re stuck
here.
I used to fume about the English usage on this forum, but just
dropped it when I realized that many posters don’t have English as a
first language, and that if many were great at English, the smithing
and other skills they had would languish for lack of use.
Feel like you need your spelling and grammar checked? Contact me. I
do catalogs, with excellence, but not perfection. I gotta write to do
my job.
Dan
Patinated.
Alan
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, Inc.
“Patinated” just feels right.
Patinated maybe grammatically correct but in common bench slang it
remains patinaed. Just as I have had the language-use police inform
me over and over again that it’s not tourmalated quartz it’s
tourmalinated quartz. Try saying that fast5 times. A person’s whole
goldsmithing reputation can be called into question if you (out of
habit) use some old bench slang.
Nanz Aalund
Associate Editor / Art Jewelry magazine
21027 Crossroads Circle / Waukesha WI 53187-1612
262.796.8776 ext.228
Nanz,
Well, I come from an art history background and we always said
"patinated". Works for me.
Brian Corll
Brian Corll, Inc.
1002 East Simpson Street
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Patinated maybe grammatically correct but in common bench slang it remains patinaed. Just as I have had the language-use police inform me over and over again that it's not tourmalated quartz it's tourmalinated quartz. Try saying that fast5 times. A person's whole goldsmithing reputation can be called into question if you (out of habit) use some old bench slang.
And this would be the aforementioned language-use police, reporting
in. Patinated is correct. And Nanz, tourmalinated isn’t that hard to
say – just keep practicing! 
Hazel Wheaton
Editor, Art Jewelry
(262) 796-8776 x460
www.artjewelrymag.com