Istry of higher education, science and innovations of the republic of uzbekistan karakalpak state university named after berdakh

Conversion Definition
The official definition of linguistic conversion is as follows:
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  Definition:
  

A type of word formation process in which a word is assigned to a new word class or part of speech without any change in form.
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The pivotal element in the conversion process is meaning. A word that undergoes no structural change but changes grammatical categories (and therefore meaning, to a degree) has undergone conversion.

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  Example
  A grammatical category is a unit of grammar such as noun, verb, or adjective that share common features and function the same way in speech and writing.
  

In the example of the word(s) shape, the word changed from a noun, to express the form of something, to a verb that expresses how something takes form. There is a slight change in meaning as the words function differently in speech, but not so drastic a change that the words are no longer related.

Conversion: Zero Derivation
This process of conversion is also called zero derivation or null derivation.

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  Deep dive
  

In linguistics, derivation is the process of creating a new word from an existing word by altering it in some way, most often by adding an affix. The phrases zero or null derivation both indicate the necessity for the process of conversion to not alter the structure of the word—zero derivation in formation.

Conversion is also sometimes called functional shift because the change is in the function of the word, not necessarily the meaning. Here is an example of two words that are not related by conversion:

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  Example
  

Plane (noun) – an aircraft
To Plane (verb) – to smooth a wooden surface

These two words sound the same, but their meanings are not even close to being similar. This is not an example of conversion.