Nouns Illustrating Adjective-Noun Conversion in English
Title
Nouns Illustrating Adjective-Noun Conversion in English
Nouns Illustrating Adjective-Noun Conversion in English
Keywords: nouns derived from adjectives by conversion, adjective-derived nouns, semantic subclasses of adjective-derived nouns
Authors
Dr. Bolaji Aremo
Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Dr. Bolaji Aremo
Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Bio Data
Dr. Bolaji Aremo is Reader in English Language and was formerly Acting Head, Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is the current Director of the EFL programme at the University. He was for one year at University
College London utilizing a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship. His Publications include a 700-page grammar text An Introduction to English Sentences (published by Caltop/Scribo Publications). Qualifications: BA (English), MA (ESL), PH.D
Abstract
This paper reports a study concerned with finding examples used in ordinary everyday English of nouns derived from adjectives through the word-formation process of conversion. The study involved, in the main, a close examination for common adjective-derived noun headwords of two first-rate learner’s dictionaries: Hornby’s Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (edited by Wehmeier (2000)) and Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (edited by Sinclair (1987)). The examples collected in the course of the study are, for the most part, listed in the paper according to semantic subclasses determined by the kinds of general meanings (e.g.: “ADJECTIVE person”, “Person with ADJECTIVE beliefs, views, or attitudes”, etc) which the nouns are formed from the adjective bases to express. It is expected that the examples will prove of some value in the teaching of the English vocabulary in second or foreign language situations.
This paper reports a study concerned with finding examples used in ordinary everyday English of nouns derived from adjectives through the word-formation process of conversion. The study involved, in the main, a close examination for common adjective-derived noun headwords of two first-rate learner’s dictionaries: Hornby’s Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English (edited by Wehmeier (2000)) and Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary (edited by Sinclair (1987)). The examples collected in the course of the study are, for the most part, listed in the paper according to semantic subclasses determined by the kinds of general meanings (e.g.: “ADJECTIVE person”, “Person with ADJECTIVE beliefs, views, or attitudes”, etc) which the nouns are formed from the adjective bases to express. It is expected that the examples will prove of some value in the teaching of the English vocabulary in second or foreign language situations.
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Category: Main Editions, Volume 7 Issue 1
