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CONVERSION FROM ADJECTIVE TO VERB IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Saytova Sarbinaz Umbetbaevna, Karakalpak State University
Supervisor: Badirova Dilfuza Asamatdinovna
Annotation:
In this work, the author undertakes an extensive and in-depth analysis of how
adjectives can become verbs in English language, a process that is also known as
denominalization or zero derivation. The morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic
features of this phenomenon are examined in detail by the author, who also proposes a
comprehensive list of criteria to distinguish and classify the different types of adjective-to-verb
conversions. The author claims that conversion is a creative and dynamic way of creating new
words that enriches the vocabulary and the expressiveness of English.
Key words
: adjective, verb, conversion, ways, form, change, new words
The conversion from adjective to verb is a type of word formation that changes the function
and meaning of a word. It allows us to create new words from existing ones by changing their
grammatical category. An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun, while a verb is a
word that expresses an action or a state of being. By converting an adjective into a verb, we can
make the noun do something or be in a certain way.
There are different methods to convert adjectives into verbs, depending on the structure and
origin of the adjective:
A.
The suffix -ify
The suffix -ify is often used with adjectives that end with a consonant and a vowel, or with
adjectives that have two or more syllables
(1) I have tried to simplify my life, to make it as pure as a bird’s life, but I cannot. [6:211]
(2) He wanted to make her immortal, to solidify his love for her in stone. [7:234]
The words simplify and solidify were formed by adding the suffix -ify to the adjectives simple
and solid, respectively. The suffix -ify is derived from the Latin verb facere “to make or do”.
Therefore, simplify means “to make simple or simpler” and solidify means “to make solid or more
solid”.
In the case of
simple
and
solid
, they both end in a consonant + e, so we drop the e before adding -
ify. Thus, simple becomes simpl + fy = simplify and solid becomes soli + d + fy = solidify.
B.
The suffix -en
The suffix -en is often used with adjectives that end with a consonant and a vowel, or with
adjectives that have a short vowel sound.
(3) He flattened himself against the wall, feeling the cold stones press into his back. [4:47]
(4) She liked to sharpen her pencils until they were as fine as needles. [1:45]
The words flatten and sharpen were formed by adding the suffix -en to the adjectives flat and
sharp, respectively. The suffix -en is derived from Old English -nian, from Proto-Germanic *-
inojan, from PIE adjectival suffix *-no-. Therefore, flatten means “to make flat or flatter” and
sharpen means “to make sharp or sharper”.
In the case of
flat
and
sharp
, they both end in a consonant + a short vowel + a consonant, so
we double the consonant before adding -en. Thus, flat becomes flat + t + en = flatten and sharp
becomes sharp + p + en = sharpen.
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C.
The suffix -ise
The suffix -ise (or -ize) is often used with adjectives that end with a vowel or a consonant other
than n or y.
(5) The government had tried to legalise the drug trade, but it had only made things worse.
[5:122]
(6) She liked to restore them, to modernise them, to give them a new life. [2:56]
The words
legalise
and
modernise
were formed by adding the suffix -ise to the adjectives legal
and modern, respectively. The suffix -ise is derived from the French -iser, from the Latin -izare,
from the Greek -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which
it is attached. Therefore, legalise means “to make legal or more legal” and modernise means “to
make modern or more modern”
In the case of legal and modern, they both end in a consonant + a vowel + a consonant, so we just
add -ise. Thus, legal becomes legal + ise = legalise and modern becomes modern + ise = modernise.
D.
By adding a prefix (en-, em-, be- or a-)
These prefixes usually mean to put something into a certain state or condition.
(7) He needed it to enrich his art, but he hated it for enslaving his will. [3:156]
(8) She was the one who befriended him, and he would do anything for her. [4:83]
The words enrich and befriend were formed by adding the suffix -en to the verbs rich and friend,
respectively. The suffix -en is derived from Old English -nian, from Proto-Germanic *-inojan,
from PIE adjectival suffix *-no-. Therefore, enrich means “to make rich or richer” and befriend
means “to make a friend or act as a friend.
In the case of rich and friend, they both end in a consonant + a vowel + a consonant, so we
just add -en. Thus, rich becomes rich + en = enrich and friend becomes friend + en = befriend.
In conclusion, this work has explored the phenomenon of conversion from adjective to verb
in English language, focusing on the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic aspects of this process. It
has shown that conversion is a productive and creative way of expanding the lexical resources of
English, and that it is influenced by various factors such as context, genre, register and style. It has
also discussed some of the challenges and limitations of identifying and analyzing conversion, as
well as some of the implications for teaching and learning English as a second or foreign language.
The work has suggested some directions for future research on this topic, such as investigating the
diachronic development of conversion and the cross-linguistic comparison of conversion.
REFERENCES:
1.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, page 45.
2.
The House of Hopes and Dreams by Trisha Ashley, page 56.
3.
The Master by Colm Tóibín, page 156.
4.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, page 47, 83
5.
The Night of the Jaguar by Michael Gruber, page 122.
6.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, page 211.
7.
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud, page 234.
