Wanna Verse Me?

Wanna Verse Me?

The origin of a word that isn’t one.

Many times at chess club, the call can be heard. “You wanna verse me?” Even though many students use the word, “to verse,” in the sense of “compete against,” you won’t find it in the dictionary and your English teacher will mark it as incorrect if you use it in writing.

Folk etymology, according to the Oxford English dictionary, is “a popular but mistaken account of the origin of a word or phrase.” In this case, “Wanna verse me?” comes from the Latin word “versus,” which simply means, “against.” Versus is used to make sporting events sound more historically significant. That’s the reason we use the Roman Numerals for Superbowls. “Superbowl XLII - Giants vs. Patriots” simply seems like a bigger deal than “Superbowl 42 - Giants against Patriots.” It’s easy to understand how “Tyson versus Holyfield” could be misapprehended as “Tyson verses Holyfield.” It is not a great leap to wonder who they will “verse” next.

The good news is that words derived by folk etymology often stick around and become accepted. We may check the dictionary to see if we’re using a word correctly, but the lexicographers who write the dictionaries also check on how people are using words so they can accurately record their meanings.

The bottom line is that, “verse” as in “to play against” is not a word. Thirty years from now, your children could probably get away with it. But for now, if you write, “I’ve always wanted to verse Mr. Kennedy in chess,” your English teacher will mark it wrong.