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Glite Dictionary
exocentric

exocentric

9.9
A phrase or compound that has a role different from any of its parts
  • adjective
  • /ˌɛksoʊˈsɛntrɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : exocéntrico
  • In traditional grammar analysis, a prepositional phrase like 'in the room' is considered exocentric.

Examples

  • The structure of an exocentric compound differs from that of an endocentric one.

  • Linguists often classify certain sentences as exocentric due to their unique grammatical roles.

  • An exocentric compound does not follow typical grammatical rules.

  • The term exocentric is often used in linguistic studies.

  • In traditional grammar analysis, a prepositional phrase like 'in the room' is considered exocentric.

  • The structure of an exocentric compound differs from that of an endocentric one.

  • Linguists often classify certain sentences as exocentric due to their unique grammatical roles.

Antonyms

endocentric
  • Specialized
9.9

A phrase that acts like one of its parts, for example 'large house' acts like the noun 'house'

Compounds

exocentric compound
  • Specialized
9.8

A word made from two words that names something different from its parts

Surface Forms

exocentric positive

Morphology

exocentric = centric (opaque) = exo + centric + exo

Although analyzable as 'exo-' + 'centric', the term is a specialized linguistic descriptor whose precise meaning is not directly inferable by an average learner from its parts.

Etymology

Exocentric comes from exo- ('outside') and centric ('center'), so it literally means 'outside the center'. That's why an exocentric phrase or compound has its main meaning or grammatical role coming from 'outside' its parts, not from any one part.