CONVERSION AND COMPOUND MODELS OF RELIGIOUS VOCABULARY FORMATION IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Abstract

The article outlines the concept of “conversion”, which is defined as an affixless, derivational way of word formation, inwhich a new word formed from another part of the language does not acquire an external word-forming rearrangement. Theconcept of “word formation” has also been analyzed and the phonetic component of compounds of religious vocabularycharacterized. The structural classification has been distinguished taking into account the structure of compoundings. It hasbeen found that among the layer of religious vocabulary derivational connections of conversion occur between two, three ormore words, and the main ways of direction of this process have been identified. Five main models of conversion of lexicalunits of the religious sphere have been determined, such as: Noun – Verb, which further is divided into three categories,Verb – Noun, Adjective – Noun, Noun – Adjective, Adjective – Verb. The process of substantivization of religious vocabularyas a variant of conversion has also been analyzed. Under substantivization we understand the process of changingthe paradigm of the basic word and a part of speech. Analysis of religious vocabulary shows that the transition is fromadjectives to nouns, the first acquires the characteristic features of the latter.The article presents an analysis of religiousvocabulary based on the dictionary of O. O. Azarov “Comprehensive English-Russian dictionary of religious terminology”, which allows to identify such productive models of word formation of religious vocabulary in English: Noun + Noun, Noun+ Participle, Adjective + Noun, Noun + Preposition + Noun, Participle + Noun, Pronoun + Noun, Adjective + Participle.These models are most actively involved in the creation of religious vocabulary in English, as they have the largest numberof words in their structure. Compounds of religious lexis are divided into root compounds and compound derivatives,the structural integrity of which allows to distinguish them from phrases. Considering the components of compound words,the main element can be both the first and second part. According to the relationship between the components, compoundsare divided into endocentric and exocentric types. The first is expressed by a compound word, the meaning of which isderived from the sum of the meanings of the compound’s components, the latter includes complex words, the meaningof which is not determined by any of its constituent elements. Among the layer of religious vocabulary of the Englishlanguage we distinguish the following endocentric models: Adj + N = N, V + N = N, Part I + N = N, Ger + N = N, N + N = Nand exocentric models: Participle + N = Adj, N+Pro.=Adj, V+Prep.=N, Adv+Participle=Adj.