[gspr]

> Because it's a common phrase?

I know it's a common phrase (albeit sa uniquely american one? Never heard this from e.g. Brits). I'm asking how it came to be that way when it seemingly makes no sense.

> Same as "get carded"?

No, because "being carded" (if I understand correctly) is something that does in fact happen to you. In trespassing, you are the one doing the trespassing (to something/someone else). That's why I find it so weird that Americans turn the subject into object in the sentence.

> English is flexible; almost any combination of words can start to have meaning

Sure. But taking a perfectly fine sentence and turning the subject into an object (when the physical reality is unchanged) seems strange, and warrants curiosity.

[bentley]

Trespassing (intransitive) is different from trespassing someone (transitive). It’s not unusual for a verb to mean something different when used transitively versus when used intransitively. To “trespass” someone (transitive) means to ban that someone from a property. Wiktionary provides examples of “trespass” used in this sense as early as 1946.

> albeit sa uniquely american one? Never heard this from e.g. Brits

According to this lexicography blog post, datasets reveal the transitive definition to be most common in New Zealand. https://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/dictionary/trespassers-wi...

Here are some examples of it being used on a NZ website: https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105/trespass

[NopIdoN]

> It’s not unusual for a verb to mean something different when used transitively versus when used intransitively.

Can you please give other examples? I can't think of any and I can't let it go

[NopIdoN]

Anyone?

[gspr]

Very interesting! This one finally answers my question!

In summary:

(1) It's not an American thing at all. I was wrong.

(2) It's not new. I was wrong.

(3) It has its roots in authorities charging or threatening to charge someone with the act of trespassing. I learned something today :-)

TLDR: "I was trespassed" means "I was charged with the crime of trespassing" (or "threatened with being charged with the crime of tresapssing").

[NopIdoN]

Yeah like "I was murdered"