The Verb To Bird
by Peter Cashwell
Paperback; 320 pages; published Mar, 2003
A Book Review – Kind Of
TMBC members may recall a HOOT column some months ago titled “Twitcher Talk”. Here is a refresher. To twitch, a twitch, twitched, a twitcher, twitching, to be twitchable. In a recent book, The Verb To Bird, the author, an English teacher, comments on the passing off of certain nouns as verbs - for example, the noun “bird” to the verb “to bird”.
Chapter One, titled “The Verb To Bird”, is a fun read. Cashwell begins by listing a number of nouns which double as verbs such as pen, look, gaze, glance, eye. On the other hand, he grits his teeth when there are attempts to draft nouns over to the verb side of the ledger such as to “back-burner” something.
The author traces the noun “bird” to a word in Old English whose meaning was “the young of feathered vertebrates”. So, “bird” is a noun. Cashwell then acknowledges that “to bird” is a regular part of his vocabulary. Justifying this hypocrisy, which is that to bird is a verb, is because Cashwell says it is so, “Because I bird”. Thus, to bird is a verb. Further, all English verbs require subjects, “Therefore I bird.”
As in to twitch, we quote here the author's English lesson. “Principal parts of the verb to bird: present: bird; past: birded; present participle: birding; past participle: birded. Tenses of the verb to bird: present: I bird; past: I birded; future: I will bird; present perfect: I have birded; past perfect: I had birded; future perfect: I will have birded”.
Let's see if we have this straight. According to Cashwell, I'm birding today for the Rough-legged Hawk that we went birding for yesterday. If we don't spot it we'll be birding tomorrow. So I have been birding, and I have been birding before, and if the bird is still not located we will be birding later. I prefer twitcher talk. We're twitching for the twitch we twitched for last month.
By the way, here are a two more twitcher terms to add to your twitcher vocabulary. An untickable view is a sighting too fleeting or obscure to be ID'ed as a confirmed sighting or counted. Suppression - a rare bird's arrival or presence is kept quiet until after it has left. This is a big no no in the birding (twitcher) community.
Based on reviews in several birding publications, and a recommendation from a bird watching acquaintance, we read Peter Cashwell's book. However, I should have more closely noted the sub-title, Sightings of an Avid Birder, for the book is just that - the musings of a birder. Sort of like the HOOT?
Though interesting, a bit humorous, reminiscent, with some information, watch out for a number of inaccuracies, and skip over the prittle-prattle. A good deal of cynicism creeps about now and then, thereby raising doubts as to how dedicated he really is to birding. I think Cashwell is not quite the serious birder he pretends to be, but he is a good writer. |
