What is a Compound? Stress in English Noun-Plus-Noun Constructions (eBook)

Essay from the year 2020 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,0, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik), course: Word Formation, language: English, abstract: The question, whether a construction consisting of two or more nouns can automatically be considered a compound has been subject to discussion amongst many linguists. The topic seems to be of particular importance because it sheds some light on the relationship between morphology and syntax in the English language.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a compound as “a word that combines two or more different words“, which at first glance implies that a construction of two nouns can always be considered a compound. In fact, the matter linguists are discordant about is whether all noun-plus-noun (N+N) construction can be considered morphological compounds – or in other words – if all compounds are derived from the lexicon and not also from the syntax. The main criterion, which the articles trying to solve this issue use as a basis of argumentation, is stress. More precisely, it is examined whether the first or the final constituent of the construction is emphasized.

To further examine this topic, I want to put in contrast two texts which are each based on a different view. At first I will look at “Compounding and stress in English: A closer look at the boundary between morphology and syntax“ by Susan Olsen, which was published in the German linguistic journal Linguistische Berichte in 2000. The second text will be “Compound or phrase? English noun-plus-noun constructions and the stress criterion“ by Heinz J. Giegerich, an article first published in the international linguistic journal English Language and Linguistics in 2004. The purpose is to determine whether the two perceptions are completely dissenting or if some accordance can be found in certain arguments.