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A bahuvrihi compound (from Sanskrit बहुव्रीहि, ''bahuvrīhi'', literally meaning "much rice" but denoting a rich man) is a type of compound that denotes a referent by specifying a certain characteristic or quality the referent possesses. A bahuvrihi is exocentric, so that the compound is not a hyponym of its head. For instance, a sabretooth (''smil-odon'') is neither a sabre nor a tooth, but a feline with sabre-like teeth. In Sanskrit bahuvrihis, the last constituent is a noun, more strictly, a nominal stem, while the whole compound is an adjective. In Vedic Sanskrit the accent is regularly on the first member (tatpurusha ''rāja-pútra'' "a king's son", but bahuvrihi ''rājá-putra'' "having kings as sons", viz. ''rājá-putra-'', m., "father of kings", ''rājá-putrā-'', f., "mother of kings"), with the exception of a number of non-nominal prefixes such as the privative a; the word ''bahuvrīhí'' is itself likewise an exception to this rule. In English bahuvrihis, the last constituent is usually a noun, while the whole compound is a noun or an adjective. Accent is on the first constituent. English bahuvrihis often describe people using synecdoche: ''flatfoot'', ''half-wit'', ''highbrow'', ''lowlife'', ''redhead'', ''tenderfoot'', ''longlegs'', and ''white-collar''. ==Examples== * "Houndstooth", a woven fabric with a patterns resembling dog's teeth: "She's wearing houndstooth." * "Old money", members from established upper-class who have usually inherited their wealth: "He's definitely old money." * "Bluestocking", an educated, intellectual or artistically accomplished woman: "Auntie Maud will never marry; she's a bluestocking." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bahuvrihi」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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