ihw (02/24/83)
Not all verbs ending in -ate with synonyms of identical root not ending in -ate are non-standard. Some examples cited here of alleged abuses of -ate are, in fact, perfectly okay, to wit, 'orientate' and 'administrate'. If I recall correctly, 'orientate' was the original word; it was later shortened to 'orient'. I am fervently in favor of protecting our language, especially from the standpoint of rejecting unnecessary neologisms while preserving and encouraging its tremendous ability to give speech its fine nuances, but there are still cases where a word or phrase looks as though it should be wrong according to our 'modern' sensibilities, yet it is correct (if only for 'historical' reasons). Irwin Walkenfeld ABI - Holmdel