functional shift
Word class change
Functional shift is when a word changes from one part of speech to another without any change in form.
English does this freely: nouns become verbs (to table a motion), verbs become nouns (a good read), adjectives become nouns (the poor).
The process is also called conversion or zero derivation.
- conversionAct of changing states
- zero derivationClass change sans morphology
- nounWord naming something
- verbAction-expressing word
- grammaticalFollowing language rules
syntax · morphology · transform · repurpose · google · brand name · text · email · linguist · part of speech · neologism · verbify · nominalization · language change · semantic · flexibility · adapt · evolve
- word formationaffixes, affixation, roots, infix, morphemes
functional shiftaffixation
Binding morphemes to stems
suffixation · derivation · prefixation · agglutination · inflection
functional shiftcompounding
Elements merging progressively
blending · clipping · back-formation · borrowing · coinage
function, functional, functions, functioned, functioning, functionally, dysfunction, dysfunctional, shift