Compounding

Introduction#

Compounding is a word formation process that involves combining two or more words to create a new word with a unique meaning. The resulting compound word can function as a noun, verb, adjective, or even other parts of speech.

Types of Compounds#

Closed Compounds#

• Words are written together without spaces.
• Examples:
  • toothpaste (tooth + paste)
  • notebook (note + book)
  • bedroom (bed + room)

Hyphenated Compounds#

• Words are connected by hyphens.
• Examples:
  • mother-in-law
  • six-year-old
  • well-being

Open Compounds#

• Words are written separately but function as a single unit.
• Examples:
  • post office
  • high school
  • coffee table

Semantic Relation#

Endocentric Compounds#

• The compound has a head (main part) that denotes the primary meaning, and a modifier that adds specific detail.
• Examples:
  • toothbrush (a brush for teeth)
  • doghouse (a house for dogs)
  • football (a ball used in football)

Exocentric Compounds#

• The compound does not have a head, and the meaning is not directly derived from its parts.
• Examples:
  • pickpocket (a person who picks pockets)
  • redhead (a person with red hair)
  • scarecrow (something that scares crows)

Copulative (Coordinative) Compounds#

• Both parts contribute equally to the meaning of the compound.
• Examples:
  • bittersweet (both bitter and sweet)
  • sleepwalk (both sleep and walk)
  • deaf-mute (both deaf and mute)

Stress Patterns#

Primary Stress on the First Element#

• Common in many English compounds, especially nouns.
• Examples:
  • GREENhouse
  • BLACKboard
  • TOOTHbrush

Primary Stress on the Second Element#

• Common in compound adjectives and verbs.
• Examples:
  • old-FAshioned
  • six-FOOT
  • proofREAD