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During a football game this weekend I heard a sportscaster say "... defensed the quarterback." I've always used/heard "defended" as the past tense of "defend." Now I realize that sports have a lot of their own jargon, but this one was new to me ... and I watch a lot of sports. I especially object to "defensed" since when spoken it could be interpreted as "removing a fence" (though the context would likely clarify the use).
The Ngram for "defensed" vs. "defended" shows a virtual flat-line for "defensed" so this must be something new.
It is in the online dictionaries, and is presented with no apologies or disclaimers, like "archaic" or "informal" or "speech only" so I guess it's legit. But I'll keep using "defended" thank you. Even as a descriptivist I don't like "defensed".
Curiously, fans who hold up signs with a capital "D" plus a section of picket fence are implying the British spelling of "defence." Maybe they should replace the picket fence with an image of a "great warrior" (see Urban Dictionary). 🙂
Just my rant ... no real question here. Other opinions welcome.
Some dictionaries add the context Sports, like this: tr.v. de·fensed, de·fens·ing, de·fens·es Sports
It seems the idea is to hark back to the noun defense, because nouns conjure things that are physical or at least tangible, not so abstract like verbs are. You kind of 'see' the team doing their things.
I can imagine that kind of thinking behind adjective formations like these ( that favor a noun root over a verb) : fashionable, objectionable, personable, actionable.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
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