The Lemon Fool

BBC commentary on the destruction of Notre Dame where apparently Napoleon was coronated. Crowned for goodness’ sake! Why misuse the adjective in such a clumsy way?

The BBC's grasp of the English language is not that good nowadays, I've heard coronated said twice, but both times by an American.

I have never heard "coronated" - its sounds like some sort of painful medical procedure.
Interestingly, at the crowning ceremony of Napoleon, he entered wearing a golden wreath on his head, and kept it in place during the ceremony. He raised the crown over his own head, then placed it on Josephine's head. So even Napoleon being "crowned" at that ceremony may be somewhat inaccurate.

I've heard coronated before. Used in the mnemonic poem for English monarchs. Here it is.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemoni ... in_England

If a word is used, it's real. The English language is like that.

I do not think that the BBC made up the word coronated. Coronation comes from the word corona (Latin for a crown). My 20th Century Chambers dictionary has the verb coronate, to crown, and so logically if we can use coronate we can also use coronated. A bit unusual maybe but that does not disqualify it.

Incidentally since this is pedant's corner, coronated was surely used as a verb not an adjective.

Dod

I had not heard of that word either, not that that means much. The glories of the English language are its breadth and fluidity. Anyway according to the OED coronated is a rarely used verb, at least so the attached maintains.

https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2009 ... oment.html

MM