Compound Nouns

Topic - 6 

COMPOUND NOUNS

INTRODUCTION

A Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing (anything that we can think of).

Nouns which are formed by 2 or more words (nouns, gerunds, and adjectives) are called Compound Nouns. A Noun Compound is a grammatical structure in which nouns are linked together to indicate a new concept. The difficulty usually lies in decoding the compounds rather than in understanding the individual words in the compound. To meet out the needs of words, we have to coin new words. We have several methods for coining new words. For e.g. by adding the prefix and suffix, by just changing the verb forms, and so on.

One of the methods to coin new words is Compound Nouns. By just putting together the already existing two words to make out a new word.

Example

Noun + Noun

Mercury is existing noun and Thermometer is also existing noun

By combining these two words we coined a new word- Mercury Thermometer. We have so many combination in the Compound Nouns.

Noun + Verb – Sleep walk

Verb + Noun - Walking stick

Adjective + Noun- Dark room

Noun + Gerund - Jewellery making

Gerund + Noun - Running commentary 

Suggestions for expanding the compound nouns.

1. Start with a if it is singular or the for the plural. 

2. Use the preposition for expanding. 

3. When you try to expand make the last word as the base word and then expand it.

Solar battery - a battery of solar cells 

Steam consumption - the consumption of steam

Examples

Practice Exercises

I. Expand the following compound nouns using suitable prepositions.