Bathroom Monologue: Conjugations of Blaze

Have you ever considered what happens to a word when it’s let loose in the wild? The weird relationships people force it to have? The way its meanings slosh around? If you haven’t, please take a moment and consider “blaze.”

Blaze (noun): a particularly bright fire. Duh.

Blaze (verb): to burn with particular intensity. Sure.

Blazing (verb): to burn with particular intensity, in the present tense. Feel like you’re on safe ground? But there’s another present tense verb form.

Blazin' (verb): to smoke marijuana. Now you’ll say there’s a kind of burn involved, but then explain these next two to me.

Blazed (verb): to have burned with particular intensity. Add a ‘d’ and it conjugates to the past tense; but had an ‘r’ and…

Blazer (noun): a semi-formal jacket. This is never purposefully on fire. Never you mind mutations like…

Trailblazer (noun): a basketball player situated in Portland, Oregon.

Blaz (adjective): a particular shade of a color, such as blue.

Blaise (noun): a divine gambler.