Conversion in Ossetian Language (Iron and Digor Dialects)

Abstract

This article analyzes the converted lexicon of the Iron and Digor dialects of the Ossetian language. The study uses lexical units extracted through a random sampling method from Ossetian language dictionaries. The relevance of the research lies in identifying the primary conversion models necessary for solving problems related to the differentiation of parts of speech in the Ossetian language. The novelty of the study is that it attempts a scientific description of Ossetian conversion models using linguistic material from the Iron and Digor dialects. The study reveals that the most active forms of conversion in the Ossetian language are substantivization, adjectivization, and adverbialization (the direction of productivity may vary). The study also shows that the conversion model in the Ossetian language often includes nouns, adjectives, and participles. Conversion relationships between autosynthetic and synsemantic words in the Ossetian language are mainly represented by adverbs and postpositions, which are due to the developed system of postpositions in the Ossetian language. Analysis of linguistic material from the two main dialects of the Ossetian language suggests that there are no significant differences in the mechanisms of converting Iron and Digor lexicons.

Keywords

• ossetian language
• iron dialect
• digor dialect
• word formation
• conversion
• substantivization
• adjectivization
• adverbialization