Re: [Ksummit-discuss] [PATCH] CodingStyle: Inclusive Terminology

From: Harrosh, Boaz
Date: Tue Jul 07 2020 - 02:56:58 EST


Kees Cook wrote:
> I have struggled with this as well. The parts of speech change, and my
> grammar senses go weird. whitelist = adjective noun. allow-list = verb
> noun. verbing the adj/noun combo feels okay, but verbing a verb/noun is
> weird.

> And just using "allowed" and "denied" doesn't impart whether it refers
> to a _single_ instance or a _list_ of instances.

> But that's all fine. The change is easy to do and is more descriptive
> even if I can't find terms that don't collide with my internal grammar
> checker. ;)

But why. In English many times a verb when it comes before the noun means an adjective, or an adjective like, describing some traits of the noun.
Example:
I work - work is a verb here.
I used the work bench. - Work is saying something about the type of bench, an adjective. Same as you would say "I used the green bench".

I am not an English native at all but allow-list sounds totally English to me. (I guess the very correct English way is "allowed-list" where the past tense may convert the verb to a noun. but allow-list sounds very good to me as well. Say work-list as opposed to vacation-list do you need to say worked-list? I don't think so.)

run mate, running mate. cutting board. these are all examples of verbs used as adjectives. Are they not English? What am I missing I would like to learn?

Thanks
Boaz