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Compound nouns
Message de nouara posté le 26-11-2005 à 00:59:08 (S | E | F | I)
Hi everybody
A compound noun is formed from an adjectif and a noun, or two nouns.
Compound nouns are usually written as two words,
example: mother tongue.
But sometimes they are jointed by a hyphen,
example, baby-sitter,
or written as one word,
example: toothpaste.
unfortunately, there is no rule for this.
So let's find others compound nouns and try to give their meaning.
I'll start with those giving as examples:
mother tongue: 1st language
baby-sitter : a person who looks after children when their parents are absent
toothpaste: a substance we use to clean our teeth
Message de nouara posté le 26-11-2005 à 00:59:08 (S | E | F | I)
Hi everybody
A compound noun is formed from an adjectif and a noun, or two nouns.
Compound nouns are usually written as two words,
example: mother tongue.
But sometimes they are jointed by a hyphen,
example, baby-sitter,
or written as one word,
example: toothpaste.
unfortunately, there is no rule for this.
So let's find others compound nouns and try to give their meaning.
I'll start with those giving as examples:
mother tongue: 1st language
baby-sitter : a person who looks after children when their parents are absent
toothpaste: a substance we use to clean our teeth
Réponse: Compound nouns de dridro, postée le 26-11-2005 à 01:48:42 (S | E)
Hello nouara
I propose:
Tennis racket /a racket used to play tennis
See you and thanks
Réponse: Compound nouns de to-be-free, postée le 26-11-2005 à 02:12:18 (S | E)
hello
It’s certainly interesting and funny but compound nouns take big part in English grammar. So they are so many and even infinity: it’s fundamentally used in writing texts. Let me propose adding further criteri
see you
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Edité par traviskidd le 26-11-2005 16:17
criterion (sing.) --> criteria (pl.)
Réponse: Compound nouns de traviskidd, postée le 26-11-2005 à 16:12:31 (S | E)
In fact there is a rule.
If it is two separate words, the first word simply describes the second -- for example, a park bench is a bench that is found in a park.
If a hyphen is used, there is a more intimate relationship between the two words; the object expressed by the second word is specifically designed for compatibility with the object expressed by the first -- for example, a document-printer. A hyphen is often used when the second word expresses a verb.
If the two words are joined together as one word, then in fact the object may not even be what the second word suggests -- for example, a lighthouse is not a house, and a tablecloth is not necessarily a cloth.
Of course I'm not saying that there aren't exceptions to this rule, but at least you can make a good first guess as to whether there should be a space, a hyphen, or neither.
Réponse: Compound nouns de laydown009, postée le 26-11-2005 à 18:06:17 (S | E)
Hi, about the "compound noun" normally we can realise it by the meaning of each noun as it concerns, right !
Réponse: Compound nouns de nouara, postée le 27-11-2005 à 11:18:59 (S | E)
Hi
Thanks traviskidd, you elucidated the subject vey well
I want just to add that quite often, one of a compound forms the basis for a number of compound nouns.
Brother / sister / mother / father -in-law
Dining / sitting / waiting room
Post / ticket / box office
etc.
see you
Réponse: Compound nouns de dridro, postée le 13-01-2006 à 02:21:01 (S | E)
Hi Nouara!
1-Museum entry
2-Shop window
(entry is a part of museum and window is a part of shop)
3-Beach bar
4-City theatre
(bar is in the beach and theatre is in the city)
Thank you!
Réponse: Compound nouns de bobine, postée le 13-01-2006 à 09:19:18 (S | E)
Hello,
I propose
a curiosity shop (not a curious shop)
Thanks for your explanations and for the rules
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