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Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

There are some verbs which end in -al, which have the same meaning as other verbs -ing form.

e.g 'rental' (as in 'video rental') = 'renting'

but 'rental' is far more common and 'video renting' sounds strange.

also, 'approval', 'disposal'. I'm pretty sure these words are of French origin, can anyone back this up, give more examples, or explain the cause?

wanderlust1066 · Joined: 16 Aug 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong

I hate to have to tell you this (and it IS embarrassing) but 'rental', 'approval', and 'disposal' are not verbs; there are obviously nouns.

I have never heard 'video renting' and would reject it out of hand.

Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

aw, I know you're a troll, but I'll reply anyway.

oh, and were you going to respond to my request? you can read English right? Wink

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Yes, these are nouns, not verbs, but you are a little on safer grounds in assuming they are of French origin.
By "French" is meant that they havge been passed into the English tongue during the period of Norman conquest, when French was the language of aristocrats.
Ultimately, however, they originate in Latin. In the case of "approval", there is no French equivalent ending in -al - the French have approbation, and this does not mean 'approval'.
The 'al suffix is indicative of a Latin adjectival form (see 'actual', 'formal' etc.). The French changed this into suffixes -el, -elle (first is masculine, second is feminine).
So the above nouns are pretty much English in their meanings and structures although they are based on French or Latin loanwords.