the reason of the composition is not obvious; as, Frankincense, holiday, landlord, mildew, quicksand, quicksilver, pastime, privilege, Sunday, vouchsafe.

(3.) That compounds may often be expressed by simple words, either in the same or another language; as, Brimstone, sulphur; May-bug, a chaffer; wine-glass, a tumbler; sheep-fold, Latin ovile; vine-yard, Latin vinea; foot-man, Latin pedes; oak-grove, Latin quercetum; dove-house, Latin columbarium.

COMPOUND WORDS IN ENGLISH.

§ 361. Compound words in English, as distinguished from derivatives, have received comparatively but little attention; yet, from the great variety of the component parts, and the different relations in which they stand to each other, it is evident that these words deserve a more minute investigation.

Composition is the union of two independent words in order to form one. This union may be more or less complete.

I. Imperfect Composition.

When the two words denote distinct attributes of one and the same object, and their syntactical connection may be expressed by the simple conjunction and, the composition is then incomplete or imperfect. Of this nature are,

1. The union of two common names; as, God-man, God and man; (compare Greek vɛávoрwñоç; German fürst-bischof, prince and bishop; butter-brot, bread and butter; mann-weib, man and woman).

2. The union of two proper names; as, Hermaphrodite, Hermes and Aphrodite, i. e., male and female.

3. The union of two adjectives; as, Deaf-mute, deaf and mute, (compare German taub-stumm, French sourd-muet); first-last, first and last, (used by Young).

4. The union of two numerals; as, Fourteen, four and ten; (compare Latin quatuordecim).

5. The union of two synonymous or nearly synonymous words; as, Hap-hazard, hap and hazard; (compare German ehrfurcht, honor and fear).

Words of Teutonic origin, of this class, divide the accent

Сс

or tone between the two parts of the compound; as, God-man; those of Latin origin follow the analogy of English words; as, Hermaphrodite.

That the two words are united in one, is evident from the fact that the latter part only of the compound is capable of change by inflection or derivation; as, gen. God-man's, plur. deaf-mutes, derivative ordinal fourteenth, etc.

II. Perfect Composition.

When the two words form one complex idea, then the com position is complete or perfect. Of this there are two kinds: 1. When the two parts of the compound are in apposition or concord with each other. Here may be included,

(1.) The union of two common names; as, Brigadier-general, knight-marshal, foe-man.

2.) The union of the species and genus; as, Oak-tree. (3.) The union of a proper name and the genus; as, James

River.

(4.) The union of two proper names; as, Samuel Johnson. 2. When one part of the compound stands in rection, or government, in reference to the other, the latter part of the composition expressing the principal or generic idea, and the former part some modification thereof; as, Snow-white, steamboat.

The modifications to be expressed by the former part of the composition are very numerous, and may conveniently be arranged as cases are in our most scientific grammars:

(1.) Where the first term expresses the nominative case, or the relation of the subject; as, Cock-crowing, the time at which the cocks crow; democracy, a community in which the people rule; slave-born, (compare Anglo-Saxon theowboren,) born a slave.

(2.) Where the first term expresses the dative case, or the case of participation; as, Head-band, a band for the head; tea-cup, a cup for tea; fire-brick, a brick that will endure the fire; fire-proof, secure against fire.

(3.) Where the first term expresses the accusative case, or the relation of the object; as, Shoe-maker, one that makes shoes; wine-bibber, one that drinks much wine; pedagogue,

a teacher of children; time-keeper, a machine that keeps time.

(4.) Where the first term expresses the modal case, or the relation of the mode or manner; as, Stone-blind, blind as a stone; snow-white, white like snow; snow-whiteness, whiteness like snow; brand-new, new like a brand.

(5.) Where the first term expresses the ablative case, or the relation of the place whence; as, Land-breeze, a breeze from the land; straw bed, a bed made of straw; blood-guilty, guilty from blood or bloodshed; blood-guiltiness, guiltiness from bloodshed; centrifugal, flying from the center; tollfree, free from toll; careless, loose or free from care.

(6.) Where the first term expresses the locative case, or the relation of the place where; as, Land-force, a force serving on land; homespun, spun at home; night-dew, dew that falls by night; noctivagant, wandering in the night; woebegone, lost in woe.

(7.) Where the first term expresses the terminal case, or the relation of the terminus ad quem; as, Ground-bait, bait for fish which sinks to the bottom; home-speaking, forcible and efficacious speaking; heaven-directed, directed toward heaven; centripetal, falling to the center; ten-foot-pole, a pole ten feet in length; penny magazine, a magazine costing a penny.

(8.) Where the first term expresses the instrumental case, or the relation of the place by or through which; as, Waypassenger, a passenger by the way; way-laid, watched by the way; steam-boat, a boat moving by steam; wind-mill, a mill turned by the wind; manuscript, a book or paper written by the hand; moth-eaten, eaten by moths; careful, full of care.

The same compound may sometimes belong to two classes; ' as, Horse-boat, a boat for conveying horses, see No. (2.); also, a boat moved by horses, see No. (8.)

The first word has the form of the genitive case:

(1.) In some names of plants; as, Bear's-ear, bear'sfoot, bear's-wort, cat's-foot, cat's-head, goat's-beard, goat'srue, goat's-thorn, hound's-tongue, lady's-bower, lady's-comb, lady's-cushion, lady's-finger, lady's-mantle, lady's-seal, lady's

slipper, lady's-braces, Turk's-cap, Turk's-head, Turk's-turban, etc.

(2.) In some names of minerals; as, Cat's-eye, rat's-bane. 3.) In some nautical terms; as, Cat's-paw.

(4.) In some miscellaneous examples; as, Day's-man, king's-evil, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinswoman, spokesman, statesman, stateswoman.

Sometimes these compounds contain the remains of ancient cases: (1.) of the genitive; as, Aqueduct, from Latin aqua ductus, a conveyance of water; (2.) of the dative; as, Deo dand, from Latin Deo dandum, a thing forfeited to God; (3.) of the ablative; as, Vicegerent, from Latin vice gerens, acting by substitution; manumission, from Latin manu missio, a setting free; locomotive, from Latin loco motivus, changing its place; (4.) of the locative; as, Nightingale, from Teutonic nachtigall, a bird that sings in the night; (5.) of the genitive plural; as, Triumvir, from Latin trium vir, a man of three.

As the first part of the compound modifies the second, it is easy to distinguish between bean-pole, a pole for beans, and pole-bean, a bean that grows around poles; work-house, a house for work, and house-work, work done in a house; freight-ship, a ship for freight, and ship-freight, the freight carried by a ship; flower-garden, a garden for flowers, and garden-flower, a flower growing in a garden; book-shop, a shop for books, and shop-book, an account-book; mankind, the kind or race of man, and kinman, a man of the same race or family; chestnut-horse, a horse of the color of a chestnut, and horse-chestnut, a large nut; compare Anglo-Saxon theowweorc, slave-work, and weorc-theow, work-slave.

Sometimes, when the two terms are in apposition, the parts of the compound may be inverted without an essential change in the meaning; as, Servant-woman and woman-servant ; English hornpipe and Welsh pibcorn; Anglo-Saxon beotword and word-beot; German raub-mord and mord-raub; sturm-wind and wind-sturm.

III. Inverted Composition.

There is a class of compound words deserving some atten

tion, in which the order of the terms is inverted; as, Breakfast, (compare Anglo-Saxon fæstenbryce, fast-breach, with the parts of the compound in the natural order); break-promise, (an obsolete word, for which we now use promise-breaker); break-stone, (obsolete, now stone-break, compare Latin saxifragum); pick-tooth, (or, more commonly, tooth-pick or tooth-picker). This class includes,

1. Words peculiar to the English language:

(1.) Trivial names in botany and zoology; as, Break-stone, (obsolete,) catch-fly, cut-water, turn-stone, wagtail. (2.) Marine terms; as, Break-water, cut-water. (3.) Terms used by printers; as, Catch-word.

(4.) Words of reproach; as, Break-promise, (obsolete,) break-vow, (obsolete,) catch-poll, cut-purse, cut-throat, hangdog, (obsolete,) kill-buck, (obsolete,) kill-cow, (obsolete,) picklock, pick-fault, (obsolete,) pickpocket, pickpurse, pick-quarrel, (obsolete,) pickthank, scape-gallows, scapethrift, (obsolete,) scare-crow, smellfeast, spendthrift, telltale, turn-coat, turnspit, toss-pot, want-wit.

(5.) Miscellaneous words; as, Breakfast, (probably used at first to denote a trivial meal,) catch-penny, pick-tooth.

It is easily seen that there is one character pervading this sort of words.

2. Words derived from the French which are more dignified; as, Pastime, port-crayon, port-folio, port-glave, portmanteau, wardrobe; also, hotchpot.

DISGUISED ENGLISH COMPOUNDS.

§ 362. Compounds in English, as in other languages, are usually formed on regular principles. Some few of them, however, especially those derived from foreign languages and coming into extensive use, are so corrupted or disguised as greatly to obscure their composition.

I. Words of Teutonic Origin.

1. Atone, literally to be, or cause to be, at one, compounded of at and one. Compare Latin aduno, to unite.

This origin of the word atone is obscured only in the pronunciation. The numeral has the same sound as in the derivative only.