Conversion

Abstract This chapter looks at conversion in a broad perspective (although its major focus is on the patterns found in English) in order to illustrate different approaches by linguists to the theorizing of conversion, different approaches to what is included as part of conversion, and different approaches to what such fundamental notions as sharing form and having a related meaning might be. The intention is to provide a framework within which discussion of individual theoretical approaches or the description of individual languages can take place, rather than to provide a series of self-evidently correct answers. Despite the common general standpoint, the resulting picture of specific aspects of conversion and even of the concept of conversion itself varies substantially according to theoretical position and according to language.