A ground-nut is a nut particularised by growing in the ground. A nut-ground is a ground particularised by producing nuts.
A finger-ring, as distinguished from ear-rings, and from rings in general (and so particularised), is a ring for the finger. A ring finger, as distinguished from fore-fingers, and from fingers in general (and so particularised), is a finger whereon rings are worn.
[§ 412]. At times this rule seems to be violated. The words spitfire and daredevil seem exceptions to it. At the first glance it seems, in the case of a spitfire, that what he (or she) spits is fire; and that, in the case of a daredevil, what he (or she) dares is the devil. In this case the initial words spit and dare, are particularised by the final ones fire and devil. The true idea, however, confirms the original rule. A spitfire voids his fire by spitting. A daredevil, in meeting the fiend, would not shrink from him, but would defy him. A spitfire is not one who spits fire, but one whose fire is spit. A daredevil is not one who dares even the devil, but one by whom the devil is even dared.
[§ 413]. Of the two elements of a compound word, which is the most important? In one sense the latter, in another sense the former. The latter word is the most essential; since the general idea of trees must exist before it can be defined or particularised; so becoming the idea which we have in apple-tree, rose-tree, &c. The former word, however, is the most influential. It is by this that the original idea is qualified. The latter word is the staple original element: the former is the superadded influencing element. Compared with each
other, the former element is active, the latter passive. Etymologically speaking, the former element, in English compounds, is the most important.
[§ 414]. Most numerous are the observations that bear upon the composition of words; e.g., how nouns combine with nouns, as in sunbeam; nouns with verbs, as in daredevil, &c. It is thought sufficient in the present work to be content with, 1. defining the meaning of the term composition; 2. explaining the nature of some obscure compounds.
Composition is the joining together, in language, of two different words, and treating the combination as a single term. Observe the words in italics.
In language.—A great number of our compounds, like the word merry-making, are divided by the sign -, or the hyphen. It is very plain that if all words spelt with a hyphen were to be considered as compounds, the formation of them would be not a matter of speech, or language, but one of writing or spelling. This distinguishes compounds in language from mere printers' compounds.
Different.—In Old High German we find the form sëlp-sëlpo. Here there is the junction of two words, but not the junction of two different ones. This distinguishes composition from gemination.—Grimm, Deutsche Grammatik, iii. 405.
Words.—In father-s, clear-er, four-th, &c., there is the addition of a letter or a syllable, and it may be even of the part of a word. There is no addition, however, of a whole word. This distinguishes composition from derivation.