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Am I the only one to whom this usage seems odd?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

"Build" is commonly used in software development to refer to the most recently compiled version of an application. Perhaps the usage has spread from that context?

[EDIT] - Actually, "build" could refer to any version of a software application, what I was thinking of when I typed the paragraph above is "latest build".TomS38896.7074537037

From Webster:

Main Entry: build
Function: noun
: form or mode of structure : MAKE; especially : bodily conformation of a person or lower animal

I think the way we use it is not quite trditional, but it is our jargon.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Kinda OT for this forum, but . . .

<linguist hat on>

English has shown itself to be an extremely flexible language. We verbify nouns and nominalize (make nouns out of) verbs freely, mostly I suspect for economy and ease of understanding. Consider a few other nouns that have been verbified that we don't give second thoughts to anymore:

mail, email, strike, talk, switch, sleep, ship, train, stop, drink, lure, mutter, dress, fool, merge . . .

<linguist hat off>

Best,

Michael
BA, MA Linguistics, CSUF

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Here's that good'ol noun that we use as a verb.....

Main Entry: ra·di·us
Pronunciation: 'rA-dE-&s
Function: noun

Howard likes this one too.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

As long as we're getting under Howard's skin...

KERFING!

I thought kerfing was Mario's beef...

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Try explaining to a foreigner that we first "cut a tree down" and then "cut it up" to use it in the build.

15 years as a teacher of ESL

That's so funny, I was just radiusing the kerfing on
my latest build.

Over on the Cobra replica forums I frequent 'my
build' is a common term. So it ain't just loo-te-ers
that are dum and cain't talk the King's English rightly.

Maybe "kerfing" has enough going against it to be a lot of people's beef.

I wonder if "binding" was ever in this state? Or purfling? "I just purfled my latest."

Here's one that really gets my goat, "who do you office with?"

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Michael, I knew that. I was carefully avoiding judgment; just wondering when the usage arose and noting that it does catch my eye as a newer one. I have recently been taking a class in linguistics, and find that one result of it is that I am much easier about accepting new usages. I still don't like those that I think are misleading, or less informative. For example, I don't mind 'radius' as a verb, when a circular or spherical shape is being made. I do mind it when it refers to making curves that are not defined by a radius, since it is then misleading.

Yes, 'build' has had noun usages before; I mean the one that refers to a process of building or a built object. It comes up here frequently. The software example is helpful and may be the answer to the original question. Thanks.

I think there is something impersonal and cold about calling a guitar you are making a 'build'--to my ear it takes an individual object of art and treats it as a generic, nondescript object. It reminds me of a guitar trader I dealt with in the 70's who kept referring to guitars as 'pieces.' But I am not saying people shouldn't say this if they prefer it.Howard Klepper38896.6851851852

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] When did ’build’ become a noun?[/QUOTE] In 1325 according to the OED.

Not in the sense under present discussion, if you look at the OED's examples.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I agree with you howard it is odd. By the way how is your latest build coming

Howard I met you up at grass valley. As my students would say, "Dude you got Skills";-)

Tomas

( I was the guy with the twins trying to steal all of your secrets)

poets have for centuries used verbs as nouns

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] For example, I don't mind 'radius' as a verb, when a circular or spherical shape is being made. I do mind it when it refers to making curves that are not defined by a radius, since it is then misleading.[/QUOTE]

Hmm. Since all curves are made up of one or more "radii", I guess that would be the proper verb! "I just got finished radiiing that neck" There's a good scrabble word!

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] Not in the sense under present discussion, if you look at the OED's examples.[/QUOTE]True. But isn't it interesting how the word's usage has changed over time? :D

I.e. if you are going to tweak us for changing a word, we'll tweak you back for wanting it not to change.

[quote]Bryng me to bat bygly bylde[/quote]rlabbe38896.6999074074

I think i'm gonna start compound radiussing all my curves from now on

[QUOTE=Michael McBroom] Kinda OT for this forum, but . . .

<linguist hat on>

English has shown itself to be an extremely flexible language. We verbify nouns and nominalize (make nouns out of) verbs freely, mostly I suspect for economy and ease of understanding. Consider a few other nouns that have been verbified that we don't give second thoughts to anymore:

mail, email, strike, talk, switch, sleep, ship, train, stop, drink, lure, mutter, dress, fool, merge . . .

<linguist hat off>

Best,

Michael
BA, MA Linguistics, CSUF
[/QUOTE]

What are the chances we have, actually have, a linguist on the OLF? I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Bill

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Somewhat more to Howard's point, here's a article by the Macmillan English Dictionary on new words. The word they site is self-build, but within that definition is the assumption that 'build' is a noun referring to a project, with self describing who is doing the project. No exact date is given for this usage.

Howard - here is something I found funny in what you said above - "to my ear it takes an individual object of art and treats it as a generic, nondescript object. It reminds me of a guitar trader I dealt with in the 70's who kept referring to guitars as 'pieces.'" I thought art was always referred to as "pieces" - as in "Thats a nice piece of art", or maybe work of art would be better I guess. Art is a big huge entity, and this is a piece of it. A piece of pizza is not art, but then again, it depends who made the pizza !!!

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

OK, I'm convinced.

Any ideas about what term we could use in place of "build?"

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

[QUOTE=JBreault] I thought kerfing was Mario's beef... [/QUOTE]

Where is Mario these days anyway?   

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http://www.presnallguitars.com