Compound Nouns
Formation of Compound Nouns by juxtaposition
No grammatical link exists between the two elements. However, the determiner, acting as an adjective, precedes the determined noun and remains invariable in the singular.
a) Noun + noun race-horse; horse-race; tooth-brush; foot-warmer.
In goods-train, newspaper, savings-bank, the determiner, having no singular form, retains the plural marking.
b) Adverb + noun byword; undertone; upland; inmate; insight.
c) Gerund + noun looking-glass; drinking-water; sitting-room.
The “ing” is sometimes omitted: wash-house; grindstone; whetstone.
Syntactic formation.
A grammatical link exists between the different elements of the noun.
a) Transitive verb + object cut-throat; pickpocket; turncoat.
b) Object + verb + er or ing engine-driver; shipbuilding.
The ending is sometimes omitted: tooth=pick(er); blood=shed(ding).
c) Verb qualified by adverb breakdown; farewell; inlet; upstart.
d) Adjective ± noun blackboard; midday; grandparents.
e) Participle + noun humming-bird; sting-fish.
The ending is sometimes omitted: screech(ing)=owl; hump(ed)=back.
The ending is sometimes omitted: tooth=pick(er); blood=shed(ding).
c) Verb qualified by adverb breakdown; farewell; inlet; upstart.
d) Adjective ± noun blackboard; midday; grandparents.
e) Participle + noun humming-bird; sting-fish.
The ending is sometimes omitted: screech(ing)=owl; hump(ed)=back.
f) Possessive case ± noun land’s-end; kinsman; sportsman.
g) Appositive noun or pronoun he-goat; man-servant; turkey-cock.
h) Common expressions forget-me-not; man-at-arms; son-in-law.
Use of compound nouns
A compound noun can express the following relationships:
a) Material: steel pen; gold ring; cardboard-box; brick wall; etc.
b) Value: penny stamp; Pound note; twopennyworth; etc.
c) Place: village church; townsfolk; countrypeople; etc.
d) Use: tea-cup; carving-knife; whetstone; tooth-brush; etc.
e) Time: afternoon class; morning train; night-bird; etc.
f) Origin: ploughshare; homesickness; Indiaman; guinea-pig; etc.
g) Resemblance: ice-cream; wolf-dog; tissue-paper; etc.
Impossible use
compound nouns can never express a quantity or content.
Example: a tea-cup = une tasse à thé (a teacup); a wine-bottle = une bouteille à vin (a wine bottle).
a cup of tea = une tasse de thé (a cup of tea); a bottle of wine = une bouteille de vin (a bottle of wine).