We have all been victims of the tip-of-the-tongue (TOTT) phenomenon - when you know what you want to say but just cannot recall the word. This problem is exacerbated when the language you are trying to speak is not your first or your second language. Instead of having multiple synonyms at your disposal as you would in your first language, you only have a few options. Worse still, your understanding of the word is based on a literal translation from another language. And sometimes you recall a word which essentially expresses your intent, but you cannot remember the form.
The solution? Over-regularis(z)e.
For instance, what do you say when you want a process hastened? If English is not your first language, the word hastened or a suitable synonym probably will not occur to you immediately, so then you must think of other words to express your meaning. You know that "fast" somewhat expresses what you mean, but isn't the right form. In your quest to use as few words as possible, you try to shorten "to happen faster" but can't remember how. You start to think of similar words and remember that when you add -en to a word it can sometimes be a verb - when something must be made softer, you soften it; when something must be made shorter, you shorten it. Sooo, when something must happen faster you...fasten it? The sentence comes out as, "We must fasten the process."
How does one explain that to fasten something, literally means to attach it firmly to something else and that it is not, in fact, related to speed in any way?
The solution? Over-regularis(z)e.
For instance, what do you say when you want a process hastened? If English is not your first language, the word hastened or a suitable synonym probably will not occur to you immediately, so then you must think of other words to express your meaning. You know that "fast" somewhat expresses what you mean, but isn't the right form. In your quest to use as few words as possible, you try to shorten "to happen faster" but can't remember how. You start to think of similar words and remember that when you add -en to a word it can sometimes be a verb - when something must be made softer, you soften it; when something must be made shorter, you shorten it. Sooo, when something must happen faster you...fasten it? The sentence comes out as, "We must fasten the process."
How does one explain that to fasten something, literally means to attach it firmly to something else and that it is not, in fact, related to speed in any way?
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