Chapter: lexicology and its object subject matter of Lexicology

2.The most common types of conversion
The most common types of conversion are the creation of verbs from nouns and the formation of nouns from verbs:
1) verbs converted from nouns: ape — to ape, a face — to face, a butcher — to butcher, a dust — to dust, a doctor — to doctor etc.
2) nouns converted from verbs: to jump—.a jump, to move — a move, to help — a help, to drive — a drive, to walk — a walk etc.
Conversion is the main way of forming verbs in Modern English. Verbs can be formed from nouns of different semantic groups and have different meanings because of that, For example, a) verbs have instrumental meaning if they an formed from nouns denoting parts of a human body For example, to eye, to tinge: to elbow, to shoulder etc. They have instrumental meaning if they are formed fro nouns denoting tools, machines, instruments, weapons, For example, to hamme: to machine-gun, to rifle, to nail; b) verbs can denote an action characteristic of the living being denoted by the noun from which they have been converted, example, to crowd, to wolf, to ape; c) verbs can denote acquisition, addition or deprivation if they are formed from nouns denoting an object, For exam to fish to dust, to peel, to paper, d) verbs can denote an action performed at the plac< denoted by the noun from which they have been converted, For example, to park to garage, to bottle, to corner, to pocket, e) verbs can denote an action performed a the time denoted by the noun from which they have been converted For example to winter, to week-end .
Verbs can be also converted from adjectives, in such cases they denote the change of the state. For example, to tame (to become or make tame), 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 For example, a jump, a move,
b) process or state For example, sleep, walk,
c) agent of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted, For example, a help, a flirt, a scold ,
d) object or result of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted, For example, a burn, a find, a purchase,
e) place of the action expressed by the verb from which the noun has been converted, For example, a drive, a stop, a walk.
Many nouns converted from verbs can be used only in the singular form and denote momentaneous actions. In such cases we have partial conversion. Such deverbal nouns are often used with such verbs as : to have, to get, to take etc., For example, to have a try, to give a push, to take a swim .
Derivations from the stems of other parts of speech are less common. For example wrong (adj) — to wrong, up (adj) — to up, down (adv)— to down. Nouns may be also formed from verb + postpositive phrases. For example, to make up — a make+up. to call up — a call up, to take off— a take off etc.
New words formed from simple or root stems are more frequent than those formed from suffixed stems.