7.3. Semantic relationships in conversion

7.3.1. Verbs converted from nouns (denominal verbs)

This is the largest group of Ws related through conversion. The semantic relations between the Ns & Vs vary greatly:

1. action characteristic of the object: an ape – to ape; a butcher – to butcher;

2. instrumental use of the object: a screw – to srew; a whip – to whip;

3. acquisition / addition of the object: a fish – to fish; a coat – to coat;

4) deprivation of the object: dust – to dust; a skin – to skin;

7.3.2. Nouns converted from verbs (deverbal substantives).

The V generally referring to an action, the converted N may denote:

1. instance of the action: to jump – a jump; to move –a move;

2. agent of the action: to help – a help; to bore – a bore; to cheat – a cheat;

3. place of the action: to drive – a drive; to walk – a walk;

4. object / result of the action: to peel – peel; to find – a find.

In the case of polysemantic Ws 1 & the same member of a CP, a V / a N, belongs to several of the above-mentioned groups making different derivational bases. The V dust belongs to Group 4 of Denominal Vs when it means ‘remove dust from something’, to Group 3 when it means ‘cover with powder’; the N slide is referred to Group 3 of Deverbal substantives (place of the action) when denoting ‘a stretch of smooth ice / hard snow on which people slide’; to Group 2 (agent of the action) when it refers to a part of an instrument / machine that slides.

7.4. Basic criteria of semantic derivation

Within CPs 1 of the 2 Ws has a more complex semantic structure → which of the 2 is the derived member?

1. Correspondence / non-correspondence between the lexical meaning of the root-morpheme & the part-of-speech meaning of the stem. In cases like father n – father v, N is the name for a being / a concrete thing. The lexical meaning of the root-morpheme corresponds to the part-of-speech meaning of the stem. This type of Ns has a simple semantic structure.

The V father denote a process, the part-of-speech meaning of the stems does not correspond to the lexical meaning of the roots which is of a substantival character → complex character of the semantic structure. The semantically simple is the source of the semantically complex → the Vs pen, father are derived from the corresponding Ns.

This criterion is reliable only when there is no doubt that the root-morpheme is of a substantival character / denotes a process. There are many CPs in which it is difficult to determine the semantic character of the root-morpheme: answer v – answer n; match v – match n.

2. The synonymy criterion. Comparison of a CP with analogous W-pairs making use of the synonymic sets. Comparing chat v – chat n; show v – show n; work v – work n with converse – conversation; exhibit – exhibition; occupy – occupation; employ – employment → the Ns chat, show, work are the derived members. A reliable criterion only for abstract Ws whose synonyms possess a complex morphological structure. The criterion is applied only to deverbal Ns, not to denominal Vs.

3. Semantic derivation. Derivational relations within the W-cluster of which the converted Ws are members. The stems of Ws making up a W-cluster enter into derivational relations of different degrees. If the centre of the cluster is a V, derived Ws of the 1^st degree of derivation have suffixes added to a V-base. The centre of a cluster being a N, the 1^st-degree derivatives have suffixes added to a N-base.

Float n – float v – floatable – floater – floatation – floating the centre is the V to float → the N float is the derived member in float n – float v. It can hardly be applied to W-clusters which have few derived Ws.

4. Semantic relations within CPs. The existence within a CP of a type of relations typical of denominal Vs → the V is the derived member. A type of relations typical of deverbal Ns → N is the derived member. The semantic relations between crowd n – crowd v: a subject & an action characteristic of it → the V crowd is the derived member. In take v – take n the N is the derived member, the relations: an action & a result / object of the action – type 4 relations of deverbal Ns.

The most important are the derivational & the semantic criteria, almost no limitations.

5. Frequency of occurrence (new). A lower frequency → the derived character of the W. The information on frequency value of Ws → in the available dictionaries of W-frequency with semantic counts.

M. West A General Service List of English Words: the frequency value of 4 V – N CPs taken at random: answer (V=63%, N=35%), help (V=61%; N=1%), sample (V=0%; N=90%), joke (V=8%; N=82%).