Combining is a process of combining two words to form a third ‘new’ word. They are listed separately in dictionary take inflectional and derivational affixes and have independent meanings. The compound words after combination lose their independent entity and become part of the new word. It functions as a new word, even though that times, it is written as two words. e.g. Flowerpot. Similarly, if an adjective were to occur before the time, the compound it would apply not to the first element but to the whole compound.
Criteria For Defining Compounds
Compound is distinguished from a combination, as it is functions as a single word. In other words, the criteria of the compounds is that they try to show the unitary character of the compounds and contrast this unitary character with the non-unitary character of the phrases. This criteria mainly be divided into three types:
(i) having to do with grammar: the grammatical criterion.
(ii) having to do with pronunciation: the phonological criterion.
(iii) having to do with meaning: the meaning criterion.
However, it is important to note here that no single criteria is enough to distinguish compounds from phrases. Therefore, all criterias have to be applied, to identify a set of units, which can be called compounds.
The Grammatical Criterion
Functioning like single words, compounds show the grammatical characteristics of single words i.e. no part of a compound can be modified separately and it cannot be divided by inserting some other material between the two parts.
However, in case of phrases, not only can they be separately modified but the parts of a phrase can be separated by intervening material, e.g. higher goals, kinder hearts etc.
Sometimes, the same two words that occur in a compound may occur in a phrase also. But in that case, the particular use can be distinguished by using their criterias.
The Phonological Criterion
The phonological criterion is the criterion of stress. Compounds are generally characterised by the stress on the first constituent, whereas phrases have the stress on both constituents. For example, the compound ‘darkroom’ (a special room where photographs are developed) is pronounced |d :kru:m| whereas the phrase ‘darkroom’ meaning ( a room which is dark) is pronounced |’d :k ru:m|.
Compounds, however do not flow this pattern of stress consistently. In some cases, they also shave the stress pattern of phrases, e.g. ‘fancy’ ‘dress’ stress therefore is not a reliable indication of a compound.
The Semantic Criterion
The remantic criterion state that compounds are single units of meaning, i.e. the meaning of a compound cannot be logically derived from the meaning of its parts separately. But there are many cases (like flowerpot = pot for growing flowering plants) (Armchair = a chair having the support of arms and so on) where the meaning of these compounds are not very different from the combined meanings of their parts. In all such cases, it must be converted, that even though its meaning has something to do with the meaning of the parts, but still, it also remains true that the meaning of a compound cannot be logically derived from the meanings of the parts, because the relationship between the meanings of the parts are still known, and can only by established be going through a dictionary. For example, Flowerpot is a pot for growing flowers and not for holding (for decoration), while ink-pot is a pot for holding ink. These examples show that apart from the meanings of parts, there is some other element in it too that makes the meaning of such compounds idiomatic. These compounds are called ‘Endocentric Compounds’.
On the other hand, there are a large number of compounds, whose meanings is nothing to do with the meanings of their parts, e.g. bird-brained (stupid), egg head (highly educated), hot foot (to move fast), such compounds whose meanings cannot be derived from the meaning of their are called EXOCENTRIC or BAHUVRITHI compounds.
A third kind of compound is called appositional compound. This compound is similar to endocentric compounds in one respects (i.e. its meaning can be expressed as ‘a kind of’), however, is different in other respects (i.e. both its constituents can be used to describe the object). For example, a house-boat is a kind of boat and also a kind of house.
However, one thing needs to be added, that though both the constituents of an appositional compound can be used to describe the object denoted by it, but usually, the description of the second one is preferred.
Applying the Criteria
In cases of deciding, whether a particular item is compound or not, all three types of criterion need to be applied to see the result. For example, democracy–Not a compound–cannot be divided into two independently occurring words.
‘Cotton dress’–fails the phonological criterion, fails the meaning criterion no idiomatic meaning, hence not a compound.
Toothbrush passes the meaning test refers to a special type of brush, hence a compound.
Some Other Considerations
In everyday use of English, often two nouns are put together in such a way that the first noun modified the second. For excample, a shed for bicycles may be called a bicycle shed. But these are normally not considered compounds, because they are created only to give a concise expression to a momentarily occurring idea and have not established themselves as lexical items in the language. However, there are other combinations which are regarded as compounds, because they have established themselves as single words and show the stress pattern of compounds,e.g. Bodyguard (a man whose duty is to guard an important person).
The spelling of compounds does not provide us with a reliable clue to the status of a lexical item as a phrase or a compound.
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