Awash, Perpetrate, Perpetuate

SAMPLE 1: “For some weeks now, the media space has been awashed with the issue of unregulated mining in OAU…”(Why are President Tinubu and Dele Alake…Opera News, Sunday, 7th April, 2024)

I draw attention to the form awashed occurring in the structure, ‘the media space has been awashed with the issue of unregulated mining’.   Let us note that the word is in the past participle form, a fact attested by the final –ed that characterizes regular past/past participle forms in English.  It is difficult to fault a reported sentence that appropriately inflects the verbs, converting them to their past/past participle forms.

However, the trouble here is that the word awash is not a verb but an adjective, and, as we well know, adjectives are never inflected for past or past participle.  Some writers often commit the injurious blunder of adding the morpheme -ed to awash, thus giving the misleading impression that it is a verb.

Meaning to exist or be available in large numbers or to be numerous, the word awash is typically used as follows: (1) The streets were awash with posters advertising the new film. (2) The newspapers were awash with stories of the Governor’s sexual escapades in the US.  (3) During the era of the oil boom, the country was awash with naira.  (4) At this time of the year, the markets are usually awash with fruits.  (5) Five weeks on, the country is still awash with unsavoury rumours about the president’s health. (6) American newspapers were awash with the reports of the police’s murder of an innocent African-American. 7) Soon Nigerian landscape will be awash with the posters of politicians seeking elective posts.

What we have learnt today is that the word awash is not a verb but an adjective and, as an adjective, it is anomalous to add –ed to it i.e. to convert it to a past form or a past participle.  The error must have emanated from the erroneous analogy that sees the word in terms of the verb wash.  Unmistakably a verb, the word wash can be correctly inflected for the past tense and past participle both of which happen to be washed:   (1) I have washed my clothes.  (2) The erosion washed away all the sands intended for the construction of a new building.  (3)  Having washed the floor and the walls, the new tenants seemed ready to move into the apartment.  (4) The boy washed his hands thoroughly before eating. (5) The driver has washed the car.  (6) She washes the plates every morning.  (7) What are you doing? I am washing my clothes.

Yes, as the sentences above demonstrate, we have the following forms of wash: washes, washing, washed. It is remarkable that such forms do not exist in the case of awash, which, as we have emphasized, is an adjective.

Sample 2: “The suspects during interrogation confessed to have killed his victim. The exhibits used in perpetuating the dastardly act were recovered… (Two teenage artistes arrested for stabbing RCCG pastor…News Opera, 1st January, 2022)

Let’s examine the import of the word perpetuating which occurs in the following context: “exhibits used in perpetuating the dastardly act.”

The context makes it clear that the word perpetuate has been used as a near synonym of the word commit as used in the expression “to commit a violent crime”.

It should become obvious that the word perpetuate has been used in confusion with perpetrate. The confusion of identity stems partly from inaccurate pronunciation and partly from spelling liability on the part of the reporter. This kind of problem will continue to arise for as long as writers do not take up the challenge of getting thoroughly familiar with the “tools” of their trade – the words of the language. Crimes and other forms of misdeeds are said to be perpetrated. To perpetuate something, on the other hand, is to cause such a thing to continue.

Let’s illustrate their respective usage. First perpetrate: (1) Since the crime was perpetrated long before the law came into force, the offender cannot be successfully prosecuted now. (2) Poverty cannot be an excuse or justification for perpetrating crime. (3) Those who perpetrated the violent crime will be brought to justice speedily. (4) The human rights abuses perpetrated during the military era are still being collated. (5) The surprising thing is that the crime was perpetrated under the nose of the police. (6) Any crime perpetrated henceforth shall receive instant judgement. 7) Several murders have been perpetrated in the neighbourhood in recent times. 8) All over the world, great evils are perpetrated by the police in the name of keeping law and order. 9) The thugs on the payroll of politicians perpetrate more heinous crimes than [do] the much touted criminals being pursued by the police. 10) The nation has been subjected to far more danger by the crimes perpetrated by political and technocratic elites than those perpetrated by violent criminals. 11) Various forms of injustice are perpetrated by the police through taking of bribes and excessive use of force.

Now perpetuate: (1) The interesting thing about genes is that they are perpetuated for as long as new generations are brought into being. (2) Folk tales are the chief means through which values are perpetuated in traditional societies. (3) Church doctrines and practices are perpetuated through regular Bible teaching. (4) Chief executives usually seek to perpetuate their influence in office by replacing themselves with their lackeys. (5) Instead of perpetuating them, we should do everything we can to eliminate these pernicious habits. (6) By refusing to punish those misdeeds, we are not only condoning poor work habits, we are actually collaborating to perpetuate them, encouraging people to continue to indulge in them. 7) Experienced teachers should exercise leadership by not allowing inexperienced teachers to perpetuate incorrect information. 8) Education is the chief means through which values of previous generations are perpetuated. 9) Journalists have a great role to play in perpetuating the society’s positive values.

At any rate, the word perpetrate should replace perpetuate in the context under examination.

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