Lending, part 2

May 6th, 2009 at 07:00am Barry Wood

Here’s another reason I prefer “lend” over “loan” as a verb: “Lender” is better than “loaner” for a person or institution that makes loans. So they seem to go together.

My first thought on hearing “loaner” is that it’s not the provider but the thing provided, like a car: “How long have you been driving a loaner?”

“Loaner” also can be confused with its homonym “loner” — someone or something that’s all by itself, also known as a “lone wolf.”

And while a lone wolf might arouse suspicion, you have much more to fear from a “loan shark.”

Entry Filed under: homonyms, word choices, strict usage