exocentric compound
- noun
- /ˌɛksoʊˈsɛntrɪk ˈkɒmpaʊnd/
- Specialized
:
compuesto exocéntrico
- The term exocentric compound refers to words like 'pickpocket,' where the meaning is not evident from its parts.
Examples
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An exocentric compound can be confusing for learners.
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The word exocentric compound is discussed in advanced grammar classes.
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Linguists often analyze whether a compound is endocentric or exocentric compound.
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‘Bittersweet’ is an example of an exocentric compound because the whole acts as a noun, while its parts are adjectives.
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Many linguists study exocentric compounds in depth.
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In linguistics, an example of an exocentric compound is 'greenhouse,' which functions differently than its components.
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Understanding exocentric compound words helps students grasp complex language structures in compound formation.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally predictable: adjective 'exocentric' (having an external/unique grammatical role) modifies 'compound' (a word formed from parts), so the combined meaning—a compound that is exocentric—is directly derivable from the constituents. Because the relation follows standard adjective+noun composition, a learner who already knows both word meanings can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Exocentric compound describes a compound where the whole word points 'outside' its parts. For example, pickpocket means a person who steals, even though neither pick nor pocket is a person, so the whole word refers to something different from its parts.
