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  1. #1
    Nordic Bill is offline Member
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    Default "Graffiti" as a verb

    I was looking graffiti up at www.dictionary.com and was surprised not to find it listed as a verb as well as a noun.
    I have often heard of a place being "graffitied", but it would seem this is improper usage of the noun.
    If this should be an oversight on the part of the online dictionary people and graffiti can be used as a verb, what would the present participle be? Is it possible to say "He was caught graffitiing the bus station", having a double 'i' as would be the case with skiing?
    Thanks,
    Bill

  2. #2
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: "Graffiti" as a verb

    Words can change grammatical category very easily in English, so the verb sounds fine to me. The present participle or gerund can be found as graffitiing and graffitying. In Google, the ii form is slightly ahead, but there aren't many examples, so I think people are spelling it the way they feel when they write it. -)

  3. #3
    Nordic Bill is offline Member
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    Default Re: "Graffiti" as a verb

    Thanks for the info.
    Rgs,
    Bill

  4. #4
    Tdol is offline Editor, UsingEnglish.com
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    Default Re: "Graffiti" as a verb

    Neologisms are often bandit territory for spelling, etc.

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