Morphology

Composition
COMPOSITION is a major process of lexeme formation which implies that at least two free or bound roots are combined in order to produce a new lexical item. Joining two or more free morphemes which may operate as separate words is also known as COMPOUNDING, and its products are called COUMPOUNDS. The can be of different lexical categories: Nouns: fingerprint, strawberry, lighthouse, battleship, cowboy Adjectives: left-handed, well-known, forever-changing, trimmed-down Verbs: to highlight, to outrun, to sidestep, to manhandle, upgrade - composition = compounding - at least two bases The bases that get compound can be: - of a simple form [coffee]N [pot]N - affixed structures [can]N [[open]V +er] N The compound bases may also serve as basis for affixation. [kind]ADJ [heart]N + ed Unlike with the affixation, compounding does not affect phonological content of the involved elements. Most compounds have a HEAD as a functional element. The head is the element (one of more that make a compound word) which is syntactically and semantically dominant. Head is also knows as DETERMINATUM. (Its usually on the right-hand side, gemstone, -stone is the head) The element on the left side is DETERMINANT. Syntactically, its functioning as a modifier f the head. The head determines the meaning (schoolgirl is a type of a girl) and it also determines the lexical category (ice-cold, N+ADJ=ADJ; flowerpot N+N=N)

The head allows both regular and irregular inflection. Therefore, its pancakes (regular inflection on the head) and also, its policemen (not policemans, the inflection of man remains irregular)

Form of compounds
Compound lexical structures can be spelt differently: a) as a single word ladybug, underground b) word elements joined with a hyphen much-loved, must-have, loud-mouthed c) with a break between the elements football player, mind frame, voice mail Some regularities that occur with compound spelling: - If the compound is very frequently used, its spelt without a hyphen: toothbrush, bathroom - if the compound is a combination of short roots, they can often be written as one word: doorstep, riverbed - instead of writing a compound as one word, we can write it with a hyphen: river-bed Is it a compound word or phrase? - Compound have a rather firm internal structure (they can not be interrupted by other forms) - phrase nice job, nice and easy job - compound word cowboy, not cow young boy but it can be premodified as young cowboy - the most reliable method of determining if its a compound are the prosodic features (stress, intonation and rhythm) A compound should have a single primary stress on the first element of the item. greenhouse (vs green house)

Type of compounds 1. Endocentric compounds

(Skr. Tatpurusa, aka determinativkomposita) These are the compounds with the semantic centre within. Blackboard is a type of a board; handbag is a type of a bag

2. Exocentric compounds
(Skr. Bahuvrihi aka possessive compounds) These are the compounds with the central meaning outside of the structure. Scarecrow is not a type of a crow; crackpot is not a type of a pot

3. Copulative compounds
(Skr. Dvandva) The compounds are grouped upon their structural features. They link two elements of equal functional status in the way of a co-ordination by means of and. bread-and-butter; hit-and-run

Appositional compounds are a subtype of dvandva.

mother-child (relationship) Copulative: A+B denotes 'the sum' of what A and B denote bittersweet, sleepwalk Appositional: A and B provide different descriptions for the same referent -

4. Phrasal compounds
(string compounds) The compounds that usually consist of more than two elements connected by hyphen. They can be viewed as phrases or even clauses reduced to the level of a lexical item and which function as a single word. The often precede the head in a nominal phrase are more characteristic of written language than speech. A good-for-nothing, fifteen-year-old son in Alustralia ever to be honored editor-in-chief eon-in-law