Why does the word "gamer" now mean "people that play video games?" When did this cultural change in definition occur?
The noun "gamer" used to mean "gambler," or "a person that engages in the wagering arts." The present participle tense of the verb, "gaming," used to mean "gambling." These were the formal versions of the concepts, meant to be used in polite company
I am not sure why recently video game emos simply took the word "game," a noun which they mean to refer to the actual video game, and decided to shame the English language. They dropped the "-e" and added that present participle suffix "-ing," to create a bastardization that I hope does not ever make it into the Oxford English dictionary. It reminds me of the time that Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" said he like to "verb" words.
The noun "gamer" used to mean "gambler," or "a person that engages in the wagering arts." The present participle tense of the verb, "gaming," used to mean "gambling." These were the formal versions of the concepts, meant to be used in polite company
I am not sure why recently video game emos simply took the word "game," a noun which they mean to refer to the actual video game, and decided to shame the English language. They dropped the "-e" and added that present participle suffix "-ing," to create a bastardization that I hope does not ever make it into the Oxford English dictionary. It reminds me of the time that Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" said he like to "verb" words.