LECTURE 5 WORD-BUILDING : Conversion

Productive Ways of Word-building:

Conversion is a characteristic feature of the English word-building system. The term “conversion”
first appeared in the book by Henry Sweet “New English Grammar” in 1891. Conversion is treated
differently by different scientists.
Professor A.I. Smirntitsky treats conversion as a morphological way of forming words when “one
part of speech is formed from another part of speech by changing its paradigm” [Smirntitsky, 1976:58],
e.g. to form the verb to dial from the noun dial we change the paradigm of the noun (a dial, dials) for
the paradigm of a regular verb (I dial, he dials, dialed, dialing). Prof. H. Marchand in his book “The
Categories and Types of Present-day English” treats conversion as “a morphological-syntactical word-
building” [Marchand, 2001:124] because we have not only the change of the paradigm, but also the
change of the syntactic function, e.g. I need some good paper for my room. (The noun paper is an object
in the sentence). I paper my room every year. (The verb paper is the predicate in the sentence).
Conversion is highly productive way in the English word-stock. Conversion consists in making a
new word from some existing word by changing the category of a part of speech, the morphemic shape
of the original word remaining unchanged, e.g. nurse – to nurse, hand – to hand, face – to face. The
new word made from conversion has a different meaning from that of the word from which it was
produced though the two meanings can be associated.
The converted word acquires also a new paradigm and a new syntactic function, which are
peculiar to its new category as a part of speech, e.g. paper – to paper, work – to work.
The main varieties of conversion can be presented as:
 Verbalization (the formation of verbs), e.g. to ape (from ape n.);
 Substantivation (the formation of nouns), e.g. a private (from private adj.), loser (from the verb to
loose);
 Adjectivation (the formation of adjectives), e.g. down adj. (from down adv.);
 Adverbalization (the formation of adverbs), e.g. home adv. (from home n.).
The two categories of parts of speech especially affected by conversion are nouns and verbs. In the
group of verbs made from nouns there are some regular semantic associations. Verbs can be formed
from nouns of different semantic groups and have different meanings. They are indicated in the
following list:
a) verbs have an instrumental meaning if they are formed from nouns denoting parts of a human
body, e.g. to eye, to finger, to elbow, to shoulder etc;
b) verbs have an instrumental meaning if they are formed from nouns denoting tools, machines,
instruments, weapons, e.g. to hammer, to machine-gun, to rifle, to nail;
c) verbs can denote an action characteristic of the animal denoted by the noun from which they
have been converted, e.g. to dog, to wolf, to ape, to monkey;
d) verbs can denote acquisition, addition or deprivation if they are formed from nouns denoting an
object, e.g. to fish, to dust, to peel, to paper;
e) verbs can denote an action performed at the place denoted by the noun from which they have been
converted, e.g. to park, to garage, to bottle, to corner, to pocket,
f) verbs can denote an action performed at the time denoted by the noun from which they have
been converted e.g. to winter, to week-end .
g) verbs can denote the process of taking a meal denoted by the noun from which they have been
converted e.g. to lunch, to dinner, to supper.
The suggested groups do not include all the great variety of verbs made from nouns by
conversion.
Verbs can be also converted from adjectives, in such cases they denote the change of the state,
e.g. to pale, to cool, to clean, to slim etc.
Nouns can also be formed by means of conversion from verbs.
Converted nouns can denote:
a) instant of an action e.g. a jump, a move;
 b) process or state e.g. a sleep, a walk;
c) agent of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted, e.g. a help,
a flirt, a scold;
d) object or result of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted,
e.g. a burn, a find, a purchase;
e) place of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted, e.g. a drive,
a stop, a walk.
Many nouns converted from verbs can be used only in the singular form and denote momentary
actions. In such cases we have partial conversion. Such verbal nouns are often used with such verbs as:
to have, to get, to take etc., e.g. to have a try, to give a push, to take a swim.

Seminar Questions:
Consider your answers to the following.
1. The characteristic feature of conversion.
2. Conversion is treated by different scientists.
3. Conversion as a way of word-building.
4. Which categories of parts of speech are especially affected by conversion?
5. The main varieties of conversion.

Seminar Tasks:

1. Define the types and cases of Conversion. Explain the meaning of the words.
to eye, a find, to slim, to airmail, to toy, to nose, handed, to dog, maker, runner, to pale, to weekend, to
cool, to slice, the poor, to dry, to nurse, to lunch, to bottle, to face, to rat, to monkey, to rough, cut,
walk, move, to dress, viewer, the blind.

A self-study work.
1. Write ten sentences involving the different types of conversion. All examples should be taken from
extracts of fiction literature.