Many speakers find the construction 'to notify something to someone' incorrect (as opposed to to notify someone of something) - see for example http://www.proz.com/kudoz/English/general_conversation_greetings_letters/4167728-notify_to.html. Many dictionaries do not distinguish between the two (e.g. Macmillan, which gives both. The OED on-line distinguishes, without comment, between to 'Inform (someone) of something, typically in a formal or official manner' (= notify someone of something) and to 'Give notice of or report (something) formally or officially' (notify to). I would have flagged 'notify to' as wrong, but I am now confused.
asked Mar 5, 2015 at 8:45
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2I report something to someone, but I don't notify something to someone. American English speaker.– pazzoMar 5, 2015 at 8:53
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@δοῦλος I don't use the expression myself either. But Macmillan's research data outranks both of us.– Edwin AshworthMar 5, 2015 at 9:54
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@Edwin Ashworth- I am not sure that it does outrank us. So far I have not found anybody who approves 'notify to'. My feeling is that it may have a residual use = to serve a writ ...– Jeremy GardnerMar 5, 2015 at 13:45
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There are 100 000+ Google hits for "notify it to", including on the first page the non-legalese '... so that their computer systems automatically recognise a diagnosis of a notifiable disease, and automatically notify it to the proper officer.' ODO and Macmillan license it. People at your first linked website sanction it. 'Me and mi mates' is an unacceptable sample.– Edwin AshworthMar 5, 2015 at 14:14
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@EdwinAshworth. You are quite right that me 'n me mates is not quite scientific (although 'me mates' in this case is the combined translation resources of the European Union). However, google is also a resource that needs to be taken with kid gloves. The certainty with which language professionals say that it is wrong should also not be ignored, and there must be something behind it. The problem is, what?– Jeremy GardnerMar 5, 2015 at 14:21
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2 Answers
Something to someone
One could indicate, explain, point out, etc. Notify sounds borderline. I'm not sure I would notify something to...
Someone of something
Here one can notify, inform, tell, warn, etc But I wouldn't use indicate, explain or point out
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I'm not going to use the 'notify X to Y' version in a hurry myself, either. But one can't just ignore the corpus data doubtless backing Macmillan's licensing of the usage. Once we start ranking opinion above the findings of genuine research we should really question our principles. Mar 5, 2015 at 9:52
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I'm not necessarily ranking my own usage above the findings of research. I'm simply saying what sounds idiomatic to me. But note that I did think notify to was a borderline case. One does hear it used, and I may even have used it myself.– WS2Mar 5, 2015 at 10:01
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@EdwinAshworth - I don't ever recall hearing anyone use the "notify something to someone" form. It may be in the book, but it's far from normal usage. Mar 5, 2015 at 13:23
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@Hot Licks 'I've never heard it, so...' appears far too often on ELU. The dictionary compilers make sure they consider far more material and in far more registers than any single person could be expected to. 'I've never heard it, but ...' is far more acceptable. Mar 5, 2015 at 14:07
The Macmillan is not alone. I have looked up "Notify" in the Oxford Living Dictionary and found: "Give notice of or report (something) formally or officially. ‘births and deaths are required by law to be notified to the Registrar’" So, it must be acceptable.
