Descriptivate, don’t prescriptivate—
Damn skippy “conversate” is a word. It’s a beautiful word! Try it out in sentences instead of “converse.” Hear what it does to the rhythm. Snappy little backformation, that.
—What do you call it when you reverse-engineer a backformation? Because “opine” is the most godawful clunker of an admittedly useful word, and “opinionate” as a verb would sail so much more smoothly:
He opined that the New Deal was a cause, not a cure of the Great Depression.
He opinionated that the New Deal &c. &c.
See? Clarity and music. Makes what so many do just so much opinionation. —Which, well, icing on the lexeme.
Oh-PINE-D. A word that is filled with such wonderful self-satisfaction. I wouldn’t trade it for opinionated as a verb.
On the other hand, I like opinionation.
Oh, God, it clunks so hard. The self-important sound ends up reducing a useful concept to only its preeningly ironic sense. (Which I was somewhat doing with my example, yes, but still.) —I haven’t heard a sentence yet it actually sounds good in.
I’m with Charles, opine is a very gratifying to say.
Kip, I opine that you are crazy.
But opinionate as a verb really only works in a similarly negative sense, it is just a anti-mock erudite negative sense rather than a mock erudite negative sense. I can’t imagine “she opinionated” being used anywhere where “blithered” couldn’t be substituted, just as “opined” can safely be replaced with “bloviated.” Really, the problem is that if you are stating explicitly that what someone is saying is an opinion (what the hell is the technical term for that word “he opines”, “she says”, etc.), it is both a) unnecessary, and b) never favorable.
On the other hand, Sarah and I both like opinionating and opinionation.
I think in its jazzier conversational vibe “opinionate” would be less of a bolus than “opine” to chew through, and open up a little room for more generous, good-natured ribbing than “blither” allows. —Opine-opining-opined just doesn’t work well in a sentence; it stops the flow dead with its two long vowels and the plosive between making the stress all awkward, it tells everyone to shut up and listen to this word I’m using, opine, and while I’m sure Gielgud could make a meal of it we’d all enjoy vicariously, we are not all Gielgud.
But I am not wed to this neologism by any means. I am myself so chary of “opine” that I work without it anyway, so I don’t need something to replace it. Just idly struck me as something I’d rather read or hear from those who’re more inured.