On Productivity, Creativity and Restrictions on Word Conversion in English Cover Image

On Productivity, Creativity and Restrictions on Word Conversion in English
On Productivity, Creativity and Restrictions on Word Conversion in English

Author(s): Vladimir Ž. Jovanović
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Универзитет у Нишу
Keywords: English language; word-formation; conversion; productivity; creativity in language;

Summary/Abstract: This paper is dedicated to some of the aspects of the word.formation process of conversion in English, namely the questions of productivity which is very relevant in this process, creativity which makes a vital source of conversion, as well as all those elements that restrain the conversion of words from one class to another. The central morphological preconditions and other sources of conversion in language are considered in the article. Further on, it makes a statement of all the factors which affect the high productivity of conversion and all the domains in which this productivity is at its peak, accompanied with a series of illustrative examples that best express the essence of the productivity mechanism. The fact that the pattern of more productive types of conversion is copied in certain other subtypes of conversion is also emphasized in the paper. Finally, the factors that influence the restriction of word converting can be detected in the so-called blocking, semantic factors and some other phenomena in language.

  • Issue Year: 02/2003
  • Issue No: 10
  • Page Range: 425-436
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: English