Lending, part 1

May 5th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.” Shakespeare gives Marc Antony that memorable line in “Julius Caesar.”

There’s a lot more lending going on these days, but much of it is being called “loaning.”

Strictly speaking, “lend” is the verb and “loan” is the noun. Some authorities suggest “loan” is OK as a verb when referring to money rather than other things, as Marc Antony was.

The Associated Press Stylebook makes no such distinction, saying that “lend” is “the preferred usage” for the verb. And it’s not alone on that (that’s “alone,” not “a loan”).

However, use of “loan” as a verb is fairly common. It’s not horribly incorrect to say, “Could you loan me 10 bucks?” However, if you say “lend” instead, it shows you know the difference — and I for one will be more likely to give you a loan.

Entry Filed under: AP style, word choices, definitions, strict usage