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I'm looking for a simple word to use as the name of a function in a computer program that widely employs a naming metaphor. For this reason, I need a simple verb that can substitute (the instruction) "Become born."

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  • There's no common verb, mainly because most humans do not recall being born. (My wife's grandfather used to claim he did, but that's rare at best.)
    – Hot Licks
    Apr 11 '15 at 18:44
  • Note that choosing identifier names is off-topic here.
    – tchrist ♦
    Apr 11 '15 at 18:48
  • @tchrist Thanks for notifying me. Do you mean the entire question is off-topic because of its motivation, or just that I shouldn't have given the background I did?
    – Museful
    Apr 11 '15 at 18:57
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    @Museful Avoid mentioning program identifiers and you should be fine. Note that bear is the active verb, and to be born is its passive. You should give an example sentence showing how you use this word. Programming isn’t English.
    – tchrist ♦
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:01
  • What about deliver? Children are delivered, noun: deliverance.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:14
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(usually for lambs) fall v.: to become born

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition By Merriam-Webster Inc.

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  • Where did you get that? Fall born lambs are lambs born in autumn, later than they'd usually be, due to artificially accelerated breeding. But "fall" as a verb meaning "to be born"... it would be groovy if that's really the case!
    – bobro
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:18
  • There's a link, isn't there? :-)
    – Marius Hancu
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:19
  • Wow, that's great, thanks! By the way, links to google books don't always work for people in other regions.
    – bobro
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:24
  • That's interesting although it isn't so useful in my case since I can't use very ambiguous words given the background. Thanks anyway.
    – Museful
    Apr 11 '15 at 19:49
  • @bobro it was a google book link to a dictionary, although a direct link to a dictionary, such as this one, def 25 seems to work for more people. (I couldn't see the google book link either, just the title of the book.) Or this one from the online M-W.
    – pazzo
    Apr 11 '15 at 21:59

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