Abbreviation

SemanticRelationship by Conversion

Ellipsis + Conversion

Complete Conversion

A targetwordacquires complete paradigm of its word class.

E.g., circular n. (pl. circulars)

frequent v. (frequented, frequenting, frequents)

race v. (races, raced, racing)

Adjective → noun conversioncan be explained in terms of a well-established adjective + noun phrasefrom which the noun has been ellipted.

E.g., a professional (man, person, actor, politician, sportsman, etc.)

Ellipsis of adjective-noun phrases with unique (restricted) valency gave rise to a number of completely substantivized (converted) words.

E. g., prophylactic n. (fr. prophylactic device) [a condom]

nuclear n. (fr. nuclear power)

zoo n. (fr. zoological garden)

Conversion is simultaneous with compoundingin the case of phrasesource.

E.g., cash-limit v. (to impose a cash limit on): “As with all our budgets, the fund from which we pay consultants for socially necessary operations is cash-limited.” (Ayto)

As a rule, only one (rarely more) meaningof a polysemanticwordis a sourceof conversion.

E.g., vital adj. 1) relating to, connected with, necessary for, animal life

2) full of life and vigour; lively

♥ 3) necessary to the existence of something; essential

Vitals n. those organs of the body which are essential to life.

If you can visualize a bulldog which has just been kicked in the ribs and had its dinner sneaked by the cat, you will have Hildebrand Glossop as he now stood before me. “Stap my vitals, Tuppy, old corpse,” I said, concerned, “you’re looking pretty blue round the rims.” (Wodehouse. Life…)

N→V

1) action characteristic of the object; agential [to act as N with respect to

…]: to nurse, to judge

2) instrumental use of the object [to … with N as instrument]: to fork, to

spoon

3) acquisition or addition of the object [to get/give/have N; to provide with

N]: to coat, to frost (a cake)

4) deprivation of the object [to deprive of N]: to dust (furniture), to skin

(alive)

5) locative [to put in/on N; to get/go in/to N]: to bottle, to corner

6) transformation of the object [to make/change into … N]: to cripple

7) transportation [to send/go by N]: to fax, to ship, to phone

8) resultative [to give birth to N]: to fox

V→N

1) state: doubt, (in the) know

2) subject of V: a bore, a cheat, a look-alike

3) object or result of V: a fall, a catch

4) instrument of V: a cover, a wrap

5) instance of action; process: a swim, a wash

6) place of V: retreat, slant

Adj → V

1) (v. t.) to make (more) Adj.: to dirty

2) (v. i.) to become Adj.: to dry, to calm (down)

Adj → N

1) person of Adj. quality: a comic

2) object of Adj. quality: a daily

Abbreviation is the act or result of reduction of wordor phraseby omitting letters or syllables.

Дата добавления: 2014-01-07