In recent years, the word “podcast” has become a verb that means to listen to or make a podcast. Some people might say that this use is wrong or not necessary, but language is always changing, and words often get new meanings and uses over time. So, podcast can be used as a verb, according to the rules.
History of the Verb “Podcast”
A. The development of “podcasting”
Adam Curry, a former video jockey at MTV, and Dave Winer, a software developer, came up with a new way to publish and share audio content online in 2004. The word “podcasting” was made up of the words “iPod” (Apple’s portable media player) and “broadcasting,” but the technology could be used on other devices as well.
B. The first times “podcast” was used as a verb
As podcasting grew in popularity in the middle of the 2000s, people started using the word “podcast” as a verb to mean to make or listen to a podcast. The first time “podcast” was used as a verb was in 2004, when journalist Ben Hammersley wrote in The Guardian, “To “podcast” means to make a radio-style show about something you’re interested in and then put it on the internet.”
C. The word “podcast” going into dictionaries
The word “podcast” is often used as a verb now, and major dictionaries have caught on. “Podcast” was named the Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2006 because of its “phenomenal rise” in popularity. In 2007, Merriam-Webster added “podcast” as a verb, defining it as “to make available (a radio program, music, etc.) as a podcast.” In 2010, the Oxford English Dictionary said that “podcast” meant “to make (a digital audio file) available as a podcast.”
How “podcast” is used and accepted as a verb
Since the beginning of podcasts, people who make them and listen to them have used the word “podcast” as a verb. When “podcast” is used as a verb, it usually means to sign up for and listen to a podcast episode or series. As podcasting has become more popular, people have started to use the word “podcast” as a verb more and more.
“Podcast” is often used as a verb in online conversations and social media today. Also, big news organizations like The New York Times and BBC News have used the word “podcast” as a verb in their stories.
Even though “podcast” is often used as a verb in the podcasting community, some people prefer to use other words to describe how they listen to podcasts. For example, “listen to” and “subscribe to” are both common ways to talk about how people use podcasts.
Other Nouns That Act Like Verbs
Nouns are often used as verbs in the English language. Converting a noun into a verb is called “verbing” or “conversion.” Using nouns as verbs can make the language more rich and flexible, but it can also lead to confusion and ambiguity. Some other words that have been changed from nouns to verbs are:
Email is a word for a message that is sent electronically. “To email” means to send a message over the Internet.
Text: A “text” is a written or printed piece of work. Sending a text message is what the verb “text” means.
Google: “Google” is the name of a search engine. “Google” is a verb that means to look for something online using the Google search engine.
A “friend” is a close person with whom you have a close relationship. “Friend” is a social media verb that means to add someone to your list of friends.
Some people think it’s wrong to use nouns as verbs, and there are often arguments about whether or not this is okay. Some people say that it can make the language more rich and flexible, while others say that it can make it harder to understand. No matter what people say, it is common and accepted in the English language to use nouns as verbs.
In conclusion
The word “podcast” has been used as a noun to describe a type of digital media for many years. In the last few years, however, it has also been used as a verb to mean to make or listen to a podcast. “Podcast” as a verb is still fairly new, and there are debates about whether or not it should be used in formal writing and if it is grammatically correct. Still, the history of the word shows that many nouns have become verbs over time, which shows that language is always changing. Because of this, it’s likely that “podcast” will be used more and more as a verb in the future.
