COMPONENTS OF COMPOUNDS

Compounds having the force of nouns may be made up in several ways.

1. Two nouns used in other than their natural signification; claw-hammer.

2. A noun and an adjective used in other than their natural signification; great-uncle, dry-goods.

3. A noun and an adverb; touch-down, holder-forth.

4. A noun and an adverb; down-draft, flare-back.

5. A noun and a verb; know-nothing, draw-bar.

6. A noun and a preposition; between-decks.

7. Two adjectives; high-low, wide-awake.

8. Two verbs; make-believe.

9. A verb and an adverb; cut-off, break-up.

10. A verb and a preposition; to-do, go-between.

Compounds having the force of adjectives may be made up in several ways.

1. A group of words compacted into one idea; never-to-be-forgotten.

2. Two adjectives; white-hot, ashy-blue.

3. An adjective and a participle or noun and suffix simulating a participle; odd-looking, foreign-born, bow-legged.

4. An adjective and a noun; fire-new, type-high.

5. A noun and a participle (or noun and suffix simulating a participle); hand-printed, peace-making.

6. An adverb and an adjective used together before a noun; well-bred, long-extended.

7. Two nouns used adjectively before another noun; cotton-seed oil, shoe-sewing machine, Sunday-school teacher.

8. An adjective and a noun used together before a noun; civil-service examination, free-trade literature, fresh-water sailor.

9. A verb and a noun; John Lack-land.

Four compounds occur with the force of verbs.

1. Two verbs; balance-reef.

2. A verb and a noun; silver-plate, house-break.

3. A verb and an adjective; cold-press, fine-still.

4. A verb and an adverb; cross-examine.

Several combinations are used with the force of adverbs.

1. Two adverbs; upright, henceforth.

2. A noun and an adverb; brain-sickly.

3. An adjective and an adverb (or compound adjective with suffix, simulating an adverb); stout-heartedly, ill-naturedly.

4. An adjective and a verb; broadcast.

5. Two nouns; piecemeal, half-mast.

6. A noun and an adjective; cost-free, pointblank.

7. A noun and a preposition; down-stairs, above-board, offhand.