In the past couple of years I've noticed a new trend in younger generations of native English speakers, at least in American English and Australian English. But I can't find it discussed anywhere on the internet yet, not in linguistics papers, not in correct usage sites, not in language blogs.
The change is in certain verbs used in the passive being replaced by the verb used in the intransitive.
The most common verb where this change is happening is "to release" when pertaining to media, software, and technology. But several other verbs are undergoing the same change on a smaller scale.
Some made up examples:
- "the games are being released" → "the games release"
- "when the building is completed" → "when the building completes"
- "the movie will be released" → "the movie will release"
My question is, are there some resources where this is being discussed? Especially any linguistics papers or studies?
Also, would these new senses be a kind of ergative? They make an inanimate object the subjects of verbs they are more normally objects of.
UPDATE:
It's been pointed out to me that English verbs used to have a form called the passival which fits the pattern I describe except that the passival was restricted in use to the progressive while this new trend seems to occur in all tenses and forms of the verb. (More links: 1, 2, 3)
LIVE EXAMPLES:
I'll add some real examples here:
- The game controls OK as long as you don't get stuck in the scenery.
- The device released globally across 2004 and 2005.
- Could it naturally generate in the game?
- At 370 metres, Australia 108 will be Melbourne's tallest skyscraper when it completes in late 2020.
- 'Main Mulayam Singh Yadav' Trailer Out, Film To Release On 2nd October
- The movie will release on Digital and On Demand on July 24, 2020
- When do you think the game will release??
- The next Battlefield game will release next year
- Android Authority reports that the phone will release in more countries outside of Germany
- Hayao Miyazaki Teases Next Big Studio Ghibli Film Will Release In Three Years
- Fresh report claims new Nintendo Switch model ‘will release mid-2020’
- Which Gears of War game should release on Steam?
- Apple's first foldable iPhone could release in 2020
- WWE 2K21 Has Been Canceled - Another WWE Game Might Release Instead.
- Hey any rumors/speculation on when the game may release?
- Upcoming Apple Watch may release in Titanium and Ceramic version
- The Passion of the Christ (which released in February, but still managed to make $70.4 million in April)
- A film can release all over the country, but if it doesn’t spend at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County, it doesn’t make the cut.
- The most heated example was when Ubisoft Entertainment released Assassin’s Creed: Unity, embargoing the reviews until 12 hours after the game had released.
- In 2007, Alvin and the Chipmunks released.
- Most people had to wait since Microsoft Bookshelf ended up costing $295 when it released in 1987!