@hippietrail As a non-native speaker I would never use "to wear" for your second definition. I would you put on as you refer, or "to dress" or something. In Dutch, we do have a separate word for this translate.google.com/#nl/en/aankleden

@Bernhard actually dress is quite different again. Unlike the other three it's either intransitive or reflexive. When it's transitive the object is a second person etc whom the subject is putting clothes on, whereas for the other three it's the item of clothing that's being worn that is the object.

: I'm wearing a hat today.

: He donned a hat and went out the door.

: She put on the new shoes for the first time.

: He dressed in front of the mirror.

@hippietrail Well, I did not even know "don" before your question, but I see your point

: I'm old enough to dress myself.

: She dressed her kids for school.

don is a great old word and has an opposite, doff - usually used for hats these days

@Bernhard: when i try to think of dynamic uses of wear i can only come up with commands and prohibitions or future tense

: Wear your new shoes!

: Don't wear your hat inside!

: I'll wear it tonight.

Wear your new shoes can also be interpreted differently, like "Ruin your new shoes" or something

yes there are of course many other senses, like with most words. but a native speaker would never take that meaning. In that sense wear would usually be passive.

: The tyres on mar car are worn.

Well, I like to think about what it CAN mean, rather that what is the intended use

In Dutch it is much worse with multiple meanings of the same word

(or maybe you only really learn that as a native speaker)

well that's all interesting too but my question on english.SE was only about one facet

look up "set" in a full sized english dictionary some time! (-:

haha, that's true :)

i just found some support for my intuition in the wikipedia for stative verbs:

- They do not occur as imperatives, except when used in an inchoative manner.

pff, my knowledge on all these terms you use is quite rusted :p

hehe (-:

burma

whats with burma?

aah,

or myanmar

birma?

Don't get me started ;)

GO!

just feel like going there (-: