Unit 5 Word Formation: Conversion

1. Unit 5 Word Formation: Conversion

2. Conversion • Conversion is a main type of word-formation assigning the base to a different word class with no change of form. For example, the verb release is converted to the noun release.

3. In the English language conversion is unusually prominent as a word-formation process. Of course, conversion, like other main types of word-formation, is treated as a process now available for extending the lexical resources of the English language.

4. There are two kinds of conversion: full conversion and partial conversion. • Full conversion is conversion as already discussed above.

5. Partial conversion is conversion, where a word of one word class appears in a function which is characteristic of another word class.

6. In such structures as the wealthy(wealthy people), the ignorant, the kind, the wicked, etc., the adjective is partially converted to noun status in that it is syntactically in a position…characteristic of nouns rather than adjective. But that is not full conversion because one cannot say:” saw two wealthies”, nor can one say:” I saw a wealthy.”

7. The types of conversion contain three major word classes: nouns, verbs and additives. Conversion from noun to verb and from verb to noun are the most productive categories. • Conversion can be classified into four categories according to word classes.

8. Conversion to noun: • There are two types of conversion to noun. • 1) De-verbal • This type includes the following kinds. • The de-verbal nouns may be used:

9. 1)to denote the state of mind or • sensation. • Desire: • v. To long for, to wish • n. strong longing, earnest wish • dismay: • v. To fill with dismay • n. strong feeling of fear and • hopelessness

10. doubt: v. To hesitate to believe • n. uncertainty of mind. • Love: v. To have strong affection • or deep tender feeling for. • n. warm, kind feeling; • fondness. • Smell: v. To be aware of through • the sense of smell. • n. that one of the five senses • special to the nose.

11. Taste: v. To be aware of the taste of • something. • n.sense by which flavour is • known. • Want:v. To require, to be in need • of • n.need • The deverbal nouns of this kind are used statively to count or noncount nouns

12. b) to denote an event or activity: attempt v: to try, to make a start • at doing something • n. effort to do something. • Fall: v. To come or go down • freely • n. act of falling

13. hit: v. To give a blow • n. blow • laugh: v. To make sounds or • movements of the face • and body, showing • amusement, joy. • n. sound made in laughing, • act of laughing.

14. Release: v. To allow to go, to set • free. • n. releasing or being released. • Search: v. To examine, to look • carefully at. • n. act of searching

15. swim: v. To move the body through • water by using arms, legs, • fins, the tail, etc. • n. act or period of swimming • The deverbal nouns of this kind are used dynamically.

16. c) as object of the given verb: • answer: • Foreign languages are taught through questions and answers ( that which is answered). • Bet: • I will lay you a bet( something is laid, staked, or pledged typically between two parties on the outcome of a contest or a contingent issue)

17. Catch: • Her husband was a good catch ( that which is caught). They say he’s got a fortune in the bank. • Find: • an important archaeological find • ( that which is found.)

18. d) as subject of the given verb: • bore: • He became a bore( one that causes boredom) at last. • cheat: • A cheat is a person who cheats. • coach: • A coach is a person who trains athletes for contests.

19. e) as instrument of the given verb: • cover: • put the cover ( something with which to cover things) on the kettle and the water will boil.

20. Wrap: The word “wrap”( a garment or piece of material which is used as a covering) as a noun is usually used in the plural form. It means “shawl(s), rug(s), coat(s), cloak(s), neckerchief(s), etc,’; use of transparent film as a wrap ( material for covering or packing something).

21. Wrench: where is your wrench (spanner)?

22. f) as manner of the given verb: • walk: • I can know him at once by his walk • ( manner of walking). • throw: • a spotlight with a throw of 500 feet ( manner of traveling).

23. lie: • the lie ( the way or position in which something lies) of the land.

24. g) as place of the given verb: • divide: • a period marking the divide ( something that divides, especially watershed) between two eras of American history.

25. rise: • He sat at the top of a small rise ( an upward slope; small hill). • turn: • Take a turn to the right, please. A path full of twists and turns ( a place at which something turns, turns off or turns back.

26. 2) De-adjectival: • There is no very productive type of adjective---noun conversion in English. This conversion can be explained in terms of a fixed adjective plus noun phrase from which the noun has been ellipted.

27. Typical examples are: • I’d like two pints of bitter, please. ( type of beer) • They ‘re running in the final. ( • the final race) • As a foot-baller, he is a natural. ( a naturally skilled player)

28. Daily( daily newspaper) • Comic (comic actor) • Regular ( regular customer) • Roast( roast beef) • Young marrieds ( married people)

29. Annual ( annual book or magazine) • Bimonthly ( bimonthly magazine) • Biweekly ( biweekly magazine) • Weekly ( weekly magazine) • Monthly ( monthly magazine) • Perennial ( perennial plant)

30. Conversion to verb: • There are two types of conversion to verb. • 1) Denominal: • This type has seven kinds. • A) to put in N: • Bottle: to put into a bottle • Corner: to put into a difficult position • Position: to put someone or something • in… • Floor: to put a floor in a building

31. B) to give N or to provide with N… • coat: to give a coat to • commission: to give a • commission to • mask: to give a mask to • plaster: to give a plaster to

32. C) to deprive of N: • core: to remove the core from • skin: to take the skin off • peel: to take the skin off fruit, • vegetables etc. • Gut: to take the guts out of

33. D) to do with N; • knife: to cut or stab with a knife • brake: to stop by means of a • brake • finger: to touch with the fingers

34. E) to be or act as N with respect: • father: to act as a father to • nurse: to act as a nurse to • pilot: to act as a pilot to

35. F) to make or change…into N: • cash: to change into cash • group: to make into a group

36. G) to send or go by N: • mail: to send by mail • telegraph: to send news, etc. by • telegraph • bicycle: to go by bicycle • boat: to travel by motor-car

37. canoe: • to travel by canoe • Most of the verbs in this type are transitive verbs, with the exception of a few words.

38. 2) De-adjectival: • This type has two kinds. • a)(transitive verb) to make adj. or to make more adj. • Calm: to make calm • Dirty: to make or become • dirty • Soundproof: to make • soundproof • Lower: to make less high

39. This type can be used as transitive verbs and intransitive verbs: • Don’t dirty your hands. • White shoes dirty very easily

40. b)(intransitive verb) to become adj. • Dry: to become dry • Empty: to become empty • Narrow: to become narrow • Yellow: to become yellow

41. Grey: to become grey • Blue: to become blue • This kind can also be used as transitive verbs and intransitive verbs: • Dry your wet hands. • The wet clothes will soon dry in the sun.

42. Sometimes a phrasal verb is derived from an adjective by the addition of a particle: • Smooth out: to make smooth

43. Calm down: to become calm • Sober up: to become sober

44. Sometimes a verb is derived from an adjective plus a suffix: • Blacken: to become black • Black: to make black • Blacken and black used as verbs are the same in meaning and function.

45. C. Conversion to adjective: This category has only one type. Denominal: A brick garage: The garage is brick. Worcester porcelain: This porcelain is Worcester. A very Oxbridge accent: His accent is Oxbridge.

46. Minor categories of conversion: • There are three less minor categories of conversion, chiefly used informally. • 1)Conversion to nouns: • This type has three kinds.

47. A) conversion from closed-system words to nouns. There are two postulated major word classes in the English language: open class and closed class, namely, open-system words and closed-system words. An open class is one whose membership is in principle indefinite or unlimited, whereas a closed class is one whose membership is fixed or limited.

48. New items are constantly being added to the open class, as new ideas, inventions, etc, appear. Nouns, verbs, adjective and adverbs are open-class items, that is , open-system words. New items are not regularly added to the closed class as they are in the case of open-class items. Pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles, etc. Are all closed-system words.

49. Examples are: But(i.e. the word but) contains three letters. His speech contains too many ifs and buts. The book is a must for students of science. It tells you about the how and the why of flight.

50. B)Conversion from affixes to • nouns: • Very occasionally, an affix may be converted to nouns, e.g. • This is the age of isms • The pros and cons.