conversionlike
Conversionlike is a term used in linguistics to describe phenomena that resemble linguistic conversion (zero-derivation) but do not fully satisfy its criteria. In strict terms, conversion is the process by which a word changes grammatical category without affixation, such as a noun becoming a verb without any morphological marking. Conversionlike usages mimic this pattern in function or appearance, yet may involve context-dependent analysis, partial derivation, or lexicalization that prevents a clean, generalizable account as true conversion.
Characteristics commonly associated with conversionlike cases include limited or register-specific productivity, semantic specialization accompanying the shift,
In practice, conversionlike is used as a cautious label when researchers observe a word serving multiple syntactic
See also: zero-derivation, functional shift, anthimeria, lexicalization.