Learn English – Is it correct to use “git” as verb

meaning-in-contextterminologyverbsword-usage

I know that the word git is used for describing an unpleasant person.
Also Git is a name of a version control system which is quite popular among software developers.

I thought this word did not form verbs. But recently I found a use git as verb in a phrase which was written by a native speaker from US, on the Heroku blog. In "10 Habits of a Happy Node Hacker (2016)," #9 is

9. Only git the important bits
Most apps are composed of both necessary files and generated files. When using a source control system like git, you should avoid tracking anything that's generated.

For example, your node app probably has a node_modules directory for dependencies, which you should keep out of git. As long as each dependency is listed in package.json, anyone can create a working local copy of your app – including node_modules – by running npm install.

Is it correct to use to git in meaning "to use the computer program Git" like to google means "to search something in Google"?

Or maybe it's wordplay based on the homophony of git and get?

Best Answer

It's quite common to use the name of a computer program as a verb, but it would be considered "jargon" which is specialized, work-related slang and terminology only used and understood by a niche subset of people with a common job (or hobby). Like most slang, it isn't typically used in formal communication (although there can be exceptions).

The pattern of "verbing" the name of a computer program is especially common for Linux/Unix-based programs such as git (probably because they are typically functional; they perform a specific action).

This usage would be understood by most programmers, at least those who work with git, and baffle most people outside of the field.

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