PDF

Zero-derivation and conversion in Estonian

https://doi.org/10.54013/kk660a1

The article discusses noun and verb conversion in Estonian. Unlike in analytical languages, such as English, Estonian conversion is not about homonyms, as in Estonian nouns and verbs take different inflectional paradigms. In addition, Estonian word stems may have different phonological shapes, neither need the stem allomorphs of a stem-sharing noun and verb be similar. The existence of mono-vowel derivative suffixes (-u, –i, –e) poses an additional problem of how to differentiate between a vowel suffix and a stem vowel.

The first part of the article explains the boundaries of suffixal derivation and conversion in stem-sharing nouns and verbs. The second part analyses the semantic relations of stem-sharing nouns and verbs, pointing out that from the semantic point of view the conversion of Estonian nouns and verbs is zero-derivation. This is an oriented process, where the base word and the derivative can be distinguished, while the latter is semantically motivated by the former. In view of the semantic relations of the base word and the derivative, zero-derivation is also parallel with suffixal derivation as they both express the same categorical meanings.

Due to the English loanwords that have recently entered Estonian in considerable numbers the Estonian system of zero-derivation has begun to change. The noun and verb stems borrowed in parallel have been adopted into use directly in the borrowed meaning and shape, without adapting the borrowed verb stems to the Estonian system of suffixal derivation. The noun and verb stems borrowed as neologisms lack the systemic semantic relations inherent in Estonian derivation. Thus, in parallel with zero-derivation, Estonian has begun to use lexical conversion, which is typical of the Indo-European language system. This is already showing in original Estonian word-making.

References

Ahrens, Eduard 1843. Grammatik der Ehstnischen Sprache Revalschen Dialektes. Reval.

Beard, Robert 1995. Lexeme-Morpheme Base Morphology. Albany: SUNY Press.

Clark, Eve, Clark, Herbert 1979. When nouns surface as verbs. – Language, kd 55, nr 4, lk 767–811.
https://doi.org/10.2307/412745

Don, Jan 1993. Morphological conversion. OTS Dissertation Series. University of Utrecht.

EKG = Mati Erelt, Reet Kasik, Helle Metslang, Henno Rajandi, Kristiina Ross, Henn Saari, Kaja Tael, Silvi Vare, Eesti keele grammatika I. Morfoloogia. Sõnamoodustus. Peatoim M. Erelt. Tallinn: Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia Eesti Keele Instituut, 1995.

Erelt, Tiiu 2007. Terminiõpetus. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.

Kasik, Reet 1975. Verbide ja verbaalsubstantiivide tuletusvahekorrad tänapäeva eesti keeles. – Keele modelleerimise probleeme 5 (Tartu Riikliku Ülikooli toimetised 363.) Tartu, lk 3–162.

Kasik, Reet 2000. Kas surfimavõi surfama? – Keel ja Kirjandus, nr 12, lk 889– 890.

Kasik, Reet 2010. Eesti keele sõnatuletus. Kolmas, parandatud trükk. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.

Kasik, Reet 2011. Sõnatuletus leksika ja grammatika vahel: nd- ja ndus-liitelised verbaalnoomenid. – Emakeele Seltsi aastaraamat 56. Tallinn: Emakeele Selts, lk 63–90.
https://doi.org/10.3176/esa56.03

Kerge, Krista 1990. Liitsõna. Mõisteid ja seoseid. Soome-Eesti kontrastiivseminar (Tallinn 1988). Eesti NSV Teaduste Akadeemia ühiskonnateaduste osakond. Preprint KKI-51. Tallinn.

Lieber, Rochelle 2004. Morphology and Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Lieber, Rochelle 2005. English Word-Formation Processes. – P. Štekauer, R. Lieber (toim), Handbook of Word-Formation. Dordrecht: Springer, lk 375–427.
https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3596-9_16

Marchand, Hans 1969. The Categories and Types of Present-Day English Word-formation. Munich: Beck.

Pennanen, Esko 1971. Conversion and zero-derivation in English. (Acta Universitatis Tamperensis 40.) Tampere: Tampereen Yliopisto.

Plag, Ingo 1999. Morphological Productivity: Structural Constraints in English Derivation. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Rätsep, Huno 2002. i-sufiksilistest verbidest eesti keeles. – H. Rätsep, Sõnaloo raamat. Tartu: Ilmamaa, lk 143–159.

Saari, Henn 1993. Sõnamoodustuse mõisteid. Liigivaheldus. – Keel ja Kirjandus, nr 2, lk 87–97; nr 3, lk 148–159; nr 11, lk 649–659; nr 12, lk 726–736.

Štekauer, Pavol 1996. A Theory of Conversion in English. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Štekauer, Pavol 2006. On the meaning predictability of novel context-free converted naming units. – Linguistics, kd 44, nr 3, lk 489–539.
https://doi.org/10.1515/LING.2006.017

Štekauer, Pavol, Valera, Salvador, Körtvelyessy, Livia 2012. Word-Formation in the World Languages. A Typological Survey. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511895005

Vare, Silvi 1993. Konversioonist eesti keele sõnamoodustuses. – Virittäjä, nr 1, lk 34–50.

Vare, Silvi 2004. Põgusalt ühest leksika ja süntaksi piirinähtusest. – Keel ja Kirjandus, nr 12, lk 915–922.

Vare, Silvi 2005. Eesti keele verbimoodustus: desubstantiivne konversioon. – Emakeele Seltsi aastaraamat 50. Tallinn: Emakeele Selts, lk 39–65.

Viitso, Tiit-Rein 2003. Structure of Estonian language. Phonology, morphology and word-formation. – Estonian Language. Toim M. Erelt. (Linguistica Uralica Supplementary Series 1.) Tallinn: Estonian Academy Publishers, lk 9–129.