My radio newsroom is debating the use of CareFlite as a verb. Purists among us argue that CareFlite is a (proper) noun which may not be used as a verb. Others point to similar noun-verb conversions of such words as email and fax. We strive for accuracy, brevity and clarity. Your thoughts?
A.
I checked Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale for a response to your question. She reports that linguists estimate that twenty percent of English verb started as nouns, for example, to bayonet, to moralize, to pocket, to scalp.
Clearly it's not against the rules to turn nouns into verbs. The problem that occurs, particularly with abstractions, is that these noun-verbs are frequently awkward and imprecise. Often you can find an existing verb that will work better than the invention. One example she gives is "to write" rather than "to author."
Having written that, I have to say that to my ears, "CareFlited" as a verb sounds awkward. I prefer either of the other alternatives. My first choice would be the third sentence. Even though it contains a passive verb, I think "rushed" conveys the image better than either "took" or "CareFlited."
This is just my opinion. Others might have different opinions.