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    Conversion in Linguistics

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    9Djen19

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    Conversion in Linguistics

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    9Djen19
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    1 views2 pages

    Conversion in Linguistics

    Uploaded by

    9Djen19

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Conversion in Linguistics

    1. Introduction to the Concept of Conversion in Linguistics


    The term 'conversion' originates from the Latin 'conversio', meaning 'transformation' or
    'change'. In linguistics, this phenomenon is associated with zero morphological derivation,
    where a word changes its part of speech while remaining morphologically unchanged.

    Conversion is considered an economical way of word formation, helping the language


    maintain compactness without unnecessary complexity. It has different significance in
    languages with analytical and synthetic structures. In analytical languages like English, it is
    widely used due to the paucity of morphological forms, whereas in synthetic languages like
    Russian, it is less common because word formation mainly uses affixes.

    2. Main Characteristics of Conversion


    1. Morphological invariance: The word form remains identical regardless of its part of
    speech. For example:
    - In English: run (verb: 'to move quickly') → run (noun: 'a race').
    - In Russian: больной (adjective: 'ill') → больной (noun: 'patient').

    2. Syntactic transformation: The function of the word in a sentence changes. For example:
    - I like fish (noun: 'an aquatic animal').
    - I fish every weekend (verb: 'to catch fish').

    3. Semantic changes: The word may partially or fully change its meaning. For example:
    - green (adjective: 'the color green') → the green (noun: 'a grassy area').

    3. Types of Conversion
    3.1. Noun → Verb: This is one of the most common types of conversion in English. For
    example:
    - to butter (to spread butter) from butter (a dairy product).
    - to chair (to preside) from chair (a piece of furniture).

    3.2. Verb → Noun: This involves creating nouns from verbs, often describing actions or
    states. For example:
    - a run (an instance of running) from to run (to move quickly).
    - a read (the act of reading) from to read (to interpret written text).

    4. Conversion in English
    English, as an analytical language, actively uses conversion. It allows effective vocabulary
    expansion without complicating morphology. For instance:
    - Noun → Verb: to bottle (to put into a bottle) from bottle (a container).
    - Verb → Noun: a look (a glance) from to look (to gaze).
    5. Conversion in Russian
    Russian uses conversion less frequently due to its rich system of inflection. However, it is
    found in idiomatic expressions and professional vocabulary. Examples include:
    - красное (wine) from красный (red).
    - падение (the act of falling) from падать (to fall).

    6. Semantic Changes in Conversion


    Semantic changes during conversion can be full or partial. For example:
    - to screen (to display) from screen (a surface).
    - to milk (to extract milk) from milk (a dairy product).

    7. Conversion and Homonymy


    Homonymy as a result: Conversion can create homonymous pairs where one word serves
    multiple functions. For example:
    - to park (verb: to leave a vehicle) and a park (noun: an area for recreation).

    8. Conclusion
    Conversion is a universal and economical way of enriching vocabulary. It plays a crucial role
    in analytical languages like English and contributes to simplifying communication.

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