Well, it
is a verb, isn't it?;-)
Main Entry: im·pact
Pronunciation: im-'pakt
Function: verb
Etymology: Latin impactus, past participle of impingere to push against -- more at IMPINGE
Date: 1601
transitive senses
1 a : to fix firmly by or as if by packing or wedging b : to press together
2 a : to have an impact on : impinge on b : to strike forcefully; also : to cause to strike forcefully
intransitive senses
1 : to have an impact
2 : to impinge or make contact especially forcefully
- im·pac·tive /im-'pak-tiv/ adjective
- im·pac·tor also im·pact·er /-t&r/ noun
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
Interestingly the fact that many words in English can be used as verbs
and as nouns and as...means that English has some inherent flexibility not found in some other languages. Hence my prior argument that English is the richest and most descriptive language due to having the largest vocabulary should be amended to include this principle as well--which just makes English even 'more better'
I'm really just trying to develop an accurate world view; that's why I compare things so much--andyfox et al seem to prefer the "feel-good" of assumptions of relative equality, and fear (somewhat rightly) the dangers of believing some things are "better" than some other things. But I think that an accurate world view is most important of all, because if our ideas do not conform to reality, what good are they?--they are not "real,", so to speak. So any true comfort to be had can be found in reality, else it is not true comfort. And if reality seems too uncomfortable at times perhaps that is largely a function of focus.