Nominal Compound

A NOMINAL COMPOUND is a combination of two or more words performing the function of a Noun as one unit.

Read the following sentences:

We had a light talk when we sat at the tea table.
All the valuables were kept in the iron safe.
How much is the bus fare from Kolkata to Digha?
Have you gone through the news bulletin in the newspaper?

In the above sentences, the words tea table, iron safe, bus fare, news bulletin, and newspaper are Nominal Compounds.

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	COMPONENT WORDS	PARTS OF SPEECH
Tea table	Tea + table	Noun + Noun
Iron safe	Iron + safe	Noun + Noun
Bus fare	Bus + fare	Noun + Noun
News bulletin	News + bulletin	Noun + Noun
Newspaper	News + paper	Noun + Noun

We can break up the Nominal Compounds and work out their meanings in the following way.

Usually, the last word and the first word of the explanatory phrase exchange their position.

Tea table = a table for serving tea.
Iron safe = a safe made of iron.
Bus fare = fare for travelling by bus.
News bulletin = a bulletin containing news.
Newspaper = paper containing news.

For working out the meaning of a Nominal Compound, we generally begin with the last noun (‘table’ in the case of ‘tea table’; ‘safe’ in the case of ‘iron safe’; ‘fare’ in the case of bus fare’; ‘bulletin’ in the case of ‘news bulletin’; ‘paper in the case of ‘newspaper’ etc.

FORMATION OF NOMINAL COMPOUNDS

NOUN + NOUN

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	EXPLANATORY WORDS	FORMATION
air man	a man (employee) of an aircraft.	[air + man]
football match	a match played with a football.	[football + match]
radio programme	a programme on the radio.	[radio + programme]
lunch box	a box containing lunch.	[lunch + box]
iron determination	a determination as strong as iron.	[iron + determination]
stone wall	a wall made of stone.	[stone + wall]
sportsman	a man skilled in sports.	[sports + man]
mountain streams	streams in the mountains.	[mountain + streams]
birthday party	a party to celebrate your birthday.	[birthday + party]
ceiling fan	a fan hanging from the ceiling.	[ceiling + fan]

NOUN + VERB/VERBAL NOUN

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	EXPLANATORY WORDS	FORMATION
fact finding	finding of fact.	[fact + finding]
fault finding	finding of fault.	[fault + finding]
fortune hunting	hunting of fortune.	[fortune + hunting]
loudspeaker	an instrument bt which one can speak loudly.	[loud + speaker]
record-breaking	that which breaks the record.	[record + breaking]
bus stop	a spot where buses stop.	[bus + stop]
rainfall	the fall of the rain.	[rain + fall]
sunrise	the rising of the sun.	[sun + rise]
sunset	the setting of the sun	[sun + set]
oil painting	painting with oil colour.	[oil + painting]

VERB/VERBAL NOUN/GERUND + NOUN

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	EXPLANATORY WORDS	FORMATION
breakfast	a tiffin that breaks fasting overnight at daybreak.	[break + fast]
burial ground	the ground where burial is done.	[burial + ground]
dining table	a table for dining.	[dining + table]
dotted graph	graph that is recorded with dots.	[dotted + graph]
fishing boat	a boat for fishing.	[fishing + boat]
flying fish	a fish that flies. (a special kind of sea-fish.)	[flying + fish]
frying pan	a pan for frying.	[frying + pan]
hunger strike	a strike carried with hunger.	[hunger + strike]
looking-glass	a glass used for looking.	[looking + glass]
pickpocket	one who picks pocket.	[pick + pocket]

NOUN + ADJECTIVE

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	EXPLANATORY WORDS	FORMATION
eco-friendly	friendly with the ecosystem.	[eco + friendly]
flood-stricken	that which is stricken by a flood.	[flood + stricken]
homesick	one who feels sick (sickness) at home.	[home + sick]
sea green	that which is green like the sea.	[sea + green]
snow-white	that which is white like snow.	[snow + white]
sun-burnt	that which is burnt by the sun.	[sun + burnt]
thunderstruck	that which is struck by thunder.	[thunder + struck]

ADJECTIVE + NOUN

NOMINAL COMPOUNDS	EXPLANATORY WORDS	FORMATION
blackboard	a board painted black.	[black + board]
darkroom	a room for processing photos in darkness.	[dark + room]
first aid	aids for applying first.	[first + aid]
leaden heart	a heart that is made of lead.	[leaden + heart]
mainspring	a spring that operates the main function.	[main + spring]
magic lantern	a lantern used for showing magic.	[magic + lantern]
metal money	money made of metal.	[metal + money]
postal service	service is given by the postal department.	[postal + service]
solar energy	the energy emitting from the sun.	[solar + energy]

MORE NOMINAL COMPOUNDS

Pronoun + noun	he-goat, she-goat, he-man.
Adjective + noun	easy-chair [a chair on which one can sit at ease]
Adjective + noun	best-seller [that which sells best]
Adjective + adjective	blue-black [that which is a blue and black tool]
Adjective + verb	short cut [that which is cut short]
Adjective + verb	white wash [a wash with white]
Adjective + preposition	left-over [that which is left over a time]
Verb + noun	wash-basin [a basin for washing]
Verb + pronoun	hold-all [that can hold all the required things]
Verb + verb	hearsay [that which is generally said and heard]
Verb + adverb	know-how [the technique of knowing how it is done]
Adverb + adverb	wherever, whenever
Verb + preposition	blow-up, cover-up, fall-out, lay-off, lay-out, make-up, turn-over, walk-out
Preposition + verb	over-flow, out-cry, outlet, outlook, uplift, uproar, upstart
Preposition + noun	by-law, off-print, over-coat, over-sight, over-work, over-exercise, over-time, over-production, out-growth.
Noun + preposition	lock-up.