Лекции по лексикологии английского языка. Гусева Г.В. - 31 стр.

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Conversion is a characteristic feature of the English word-building system. It

is also called affixless derivation or zero suffuxation. Conversion is the main way

of forming verbs in Modern English. Verbs can be formed from nouns of different

semantic groups and have different meanings because of that.:

a) verbs can have instrumental meaning if they are formed from nouns

denoting parts of a human body, tools, machines, instruments, weapons:

to eye, to hammer, to machine-gun, ti rifle;

b) verbs can denote an action characteristic of the living being: to crowd, to

wolf, to ape;

c) verbs can denote acquisition, addition, deprivation: to fish, to dust, to

paper;

d) verbs can denote an action performed at the place: to park, to bottle, to

corner.

Verbs can be converted from adjectives, in such cases they denote the

change of the state: to tame, to slim.

Verbs can be also converted from other parts of speech: to down (adverb), to

pooh-pooh (interjection).

Nouns can also be converted from verbs. Converted nouns can denote:

a) instant of an action: a jump, a move;

b) process or state: sleep, walk;

c) agent of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been

converted: a help, a flirt;

d) object or result of the action: a find, a burn;

e) place of the action: a drive, a stop.

Sometimes nouns are formed from adverbs: ups and downs.

V. Disputable Cases of Word-Formation

There exist syntagmaswhich are intermediate between compounds and word-

combinations: complexes of the “give up”, “stone wall” and “mother-in-law” type.