CONVERSION FROM ADJECTIVE TO VERB IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Аннотация

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. 102 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