Word Compounds in English

Word Compounds/ Compounds Instructor: Nguyen Thi Thanh Lan Definitions • • Compound words have at least two free bases (free morphemes) with or without bound morphemes Examples: highway, desklamps, northeast, well-prepared, etc Features of Compounds The phonological features: The elements (free bases) of a compound word are stressed Word compounds take the primary-secondary stress pattern Examples: bluebell /bluːbel/; sweetheart /swiːthɑːt/ • • • Features of Compounds • Normally, the primary stress falls on the first word of the compounds However, in some cases, the second word will take the primary stress Examples: well-behaved /wel.bhevd/ ill-tempered /ltempəd/ • Features of Compounds • • • Some compounds are differentiated from grammatical structures (GS) by their patterns of stress The grammatical structure consists of a modifier plus a noun (head), as in blue bell, red coat and green house (structure that has grammatical relationship) In GS, the head takes the primary stress Features of Compounds The syntactic feature: Compound words are considered as solid blocks They cannot be divided by the insertion of any other elements But grammatical structures can be so divided • Features of Compounds The syntactic feature: Examples: She is my sweetheart (C) She has a very sweet heart (GS) She has a sweeter heart than her sister (GS) (1) (2) (3) Features of Compounds The syntactic feature: Examples: 4) It was a very hard ball (GS) 5) It was a baseball (C) 6) This is a greenhouse (C) 7) This is a (really) green house (GS) Features of Compounds The syntactic feature: Compounds can be either right-headed or left-headed Right-Headed Singular • • • • Scissor-handle Trouser-hanger Binocular-case Craftsman • • • • Plural Scissor-handles Trouser-hangers Binocular-cases Craftsmen Left-Headed Singular • • • Passer-by Mother-in-law Attorney general Plural • • • Passers-by Mothers-in-law Attorneys general Features of Compounds The semantic feature: Compound words have specialized meanings Therefore, knowing the meaning of each element of a compound word does not make it possible to figure out the meaning of the whole combination • Examples: - greenhouse: a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need warmth and protection Examples: - bluebell: a small European plant that usually grows in woods and has blue flowers shaped like bells Structures of Compounds • • Compounds can be of different parts of speech: compound nouns, compound adjectives, and compound verbs See textbook (pp 44-47) [...]...Left-Headed Singular • • • Passer-by Mother -in- law Attorney general Plural • • • Passers-by Mothers -in- law Attorneys general Features of Compounds 3 The semantic feature: Compound words have specialized meanings Therefore, knowing the meaning of each element of a compound word does not make it possible to figure out the meaning of the whole combination • Examples: - greenhouse: a building with a roof... the whole combination • Examples: - greenhouse: a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need warmth and protection Examples: - bluebell: a small European plant that usually grows in woods and has blue flowers shaped like bells Structures of Compounds • • Compounds can be of different parts of speech: compound nouns, compound adjectives, and compound verbs See textbook