Nominal Compound

A NOMINAL COMPOUND refers to the fusion of multiple words that collectively function as a single noun entity.

Consider the given sentences:

I need to buy a new toothbrush because my old one is worn out.
How much is the bus fare from Kolkata to Digha?
Have you gone through the news bulletin in the newspaper?
She put on her raincoat before heading out into the pouring rain.
The bookshelf in the corner of the room was filled with novels of various genres.

Daily Grammar Test - Attempt Now

In the provided sentences, the terms toothbrush, bus fare, news bulletin, raincoat, and bookshelf can be identified as Nominal Compounds.

Here’s the breakdown of the nominal compounds in each of the provided sentences:

Nominal Compounds	Component Words	Parts of Speech
Toothbrush	Tooth + brush	Noun + Noun
Bus fare	Bus + fare	Noun + Noun
News bulletin	News + bulletin	Noun + Noun
Raincoat	Rain + coat	Noun + Noun
Bookshelf	Book + shelf	Noun + Noun

Here are some more examples of nominal compounds:

Airplane – Air + plane – Noun + Noun
Football – Foot + ball – Noun + Noun
Bedroom – Bed + room – Noun + Noun
Toothpaste – Tooth + paste – Noun + Noun
Sunrise – Sun + rise – Noun + Noun
Lighthouse – Light + house – Noun + Noun
Basketball – Basket + ball – Noun + Noun
Rainbow – Rain + bow – Noun + Noun
Baseball – Base + ball – Noun + Noun
Sunglasses – Sun + glasses – Noun + Noun

Remember: Nominal compounds are formed by combining two words to create a single noun entity that represents a specific concept or object.

Here, the last word of the explanatory phrase and the first word of the original compound exchange positions to form the nominal compound.

Table for serving tea = Tea table
Safe made of iron = Iron safe
Fare for traveling by bus = Bus fare
Bulletin containing news = News bulletin
Paper containing news = Newspaper

Formation of Nominal Compounds

NOUN + NOUN

Car park – a designated area for parking cars.- [car + park]
Coffee maker – a device used to make coffee. – [coffee + maker]
Rainbow trout – a type of trout often associated with rainbow-like colors. – [rainbow + trout]
Sunflower – a flower that turns its face towards the sun. – [sun + flower]
Laptop bag – a bag designed to carry and protect a laptop. – [laptop + bag]
Moonlight – the light produced by the moon. – [moon + light]
Bookstore – a store where books are sold. – [book + store]
Firefighter – a person who fights fires. – [fire + fighter]
Sunglasses – glasses designed to protect the eyes from the sun’s rays. – [sun + glasses]

In each of these examples, a noun is combined with another noun to create a compound phrase that conveys a specific action or concept.

NOUN + VERB/VERBAL NOUN

House cleaning – the act of cleaning a house. – [house + cleaning]
Water skiing – the activity of skiing on water. – [water + skiing]
Tree planting – the process of planting trees. – [tree + planting]
Child rearing – the process of raising children. – [child + rearing]
Bridge building – the construction of bridges. – [bridge + building]
Firefighting – the act of fighting fires. – [fire + fighting]
Space exploration – the exploration of outer space. – [space + exploration]
Mind reading – the ability to read the thoughts of others. – [mind + reading]

In each of these examples, a noun is combined with a verb or a verbal noun to create a compound phrase that conveys a specific action or concept.

VERB/VERBAL NOUN/GERUND + NOUN

Running shoes – shoes designed for running. – [running + shoes]
Swimming pool – a pool for swimming. – [swimming + pool]
Cooking pot – a pot used for cooking. – [cooking + pot]
Reading glasses – glasses used for reading. – [reading + glasses]
Writing desk – a desk for writing. – [writing + desk]
Sleeping bag – a bag for sleeping outdoors. – [sleeping + bag]
Driving school – a school for learning to drive. – [driving + school]
Singing contest – a contest for singing performances. – [singing + contest]
Painting brush – a brush for painting. – [painting + brush]
Fishing rod – a rod used for fishing. – [fishing + rod]

In these examples, the combination of a verb, verbal noun, or gerund with a noun forms a compound phrase that describes an object or activity.

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ADJECTIVE + NOUN

Redhead: a person with red hair. – [red + head]
Blueberry: a small, blue-colored edible berry. – [blue + berry]
Goldenrod: a bright yellow flowering plant. – [golden + rod]
Hardcover: a book with a hard, durable cover. – [hard + cover]
Blackboard: a board painted black. – [black + board]
Darkroom: – a room for processing photos in the dark. – [dark + room]
Flatiron: a type of iron with a flat, triangular base, used for pressing clothes. – [flat + iron]

In these examples, the combination of an adjective and a noun creates a compound phrase that describes a specific object or concept.

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