Table of Contents
What is Nominal Compound?
In English when two or more simple words are connected side by side and they make a new word, Then the word formed is called a compound word. such as tiffin box, lunch box, newspaper etc.
The elements/words to compose a compound word may be any part of speech. A nominal compound is a group of words formed to work as a noun in a sentence.
The alternative name of the nominal compound is compound noun.
Nominal Compound Examples:
a. A station on a hill = Hill station
Hill + station – the compound noun ‘hill station’ is formed by connecting the nouns hill and station.
b. Bite of dog = Dog-bite
dog + bite – the compound noun ‘dog-bite is formed by connecting the noun ‘dog’ and the verb ‘bite’.
How to write the nominal compounds?
Nominal compounds can be written in the following manners.
a. Nominal compounds are written as one word.
Examples: Darkroom, blackboard, sweetheart, afternoon, today, highway
b. Two separate words are joined as a compound noun.
Examples: police station, case history, blood bank, sea beach, table fan
c. Two words connected by a hyphen to form a compound noun.
Examples: tooth-brush, gas-oven, diesel-engine, running-train, drinking-water, loud-speaker
Types of formation of the Nominal Compounds:
Nominal Compounds are formed by-
- Noun + Noun
- Noun + Verb
- Verb + Noun
- Adjective + Noun etc.
Nominal Compounds List:
-
Noun + Noun
| Noun + Noun | Meaning/Expansion | Nominal Compound |
| News paper | A paper which contains news | Newspaper |
| Blood bank | A bank where blood is kept | Blood-bank |
| Birth day | The day of one’s birth | Birthday |
| Dust storm | A storm that blows dust | Duststorm |
| Lunch box | A box in which one’s lunch is kept | Lunch box |
| Stone wall | A wall which is made of stone | Stone-wall |
| Steam engine | An engine run on steam | Steam engine |
| Diesel engine | An engine run on diesel | Diesel engine |
| Iron gate | A gate made of iron | Iron gate |
| Gas oven | An oven which uses gas as fuel | Gas oven |
| Tea garden | A garden of tea | Tea garden |
| Coffee garden | A garden of coffee | Coffee garden |
| Oil bottle | A bottle that contains oil | Oil bottle |
| Electric cycle | Cycles operating with the help of electricity. | Electric cycle |
| Rain coat | A coat that protects from rain | Raincoat |
| Service man | A man who lives on service | Serviceman |
| School education | Education in school | School education |
| College education | Education in college | College education |
| Bus fare | Fare charged/paid for travelling by bus | Busfare |
| House keeper | Keeper of house | Housekeeper |
| Tea cup | Cup for drinking tea | Teacup |
| Coffee cup | Cup for drinking coffee | Coffee cup |
| Wine glass | Glass for drinking wine | Wine glass |
| Television programme | Programme on television | Television programme |
| Train fare | Fare paid for travelling by train | Train fare |
| Book shelf | A shelf where books are kept | Book-shelf |
| Gold ring | A ring made of gold | Gold ring |
| Winter holiday | Holiday for winter | Winter holiday |
| Summer clothes | Clothes used for Summer | Summer clothes |
| Honey bee | A bee which produces honey | Honeybee |
| Air gun | A gun that works by air | Airgun |
| Market price | Price in market | Market price |
| Heart attack | Attack on the heart | Heart attack |
| Sea beach | Beach of a sea | Sea beach |
| Sun light | Light of the Sun | Sunlight |
| Tiffin time | Time to eat tiffin | Tiffin time |
| Water bottle | A bottle containing water | Water bottle |
| Coffee stall | A stall for serving coffee | Coffee stall |
| Tea stall | A stall for serving tea | Tea stall |
| Census report | A report saying about census | Census report |
-
Noun + Verb/Verbal noun
| Noun + Verb | Meaning/Expansion | Nominal Compound |
| Sun rise | The rising of the sun | Sunrise |
| Rain fall | The falling of rain | Rainfall |
| Water fall | The falling of water | Waterfall |
| Bus stand | A place where buses stand | Bus stand |
| Snow fall | The falling of snow | Snowfall |
| Lorry driving | Act of driving a lorry | Lorry-driving |
| Bike ride | Ride on a bike | Bike ride |
| Snake bite | Bite of a snake | Snakebite |
| Dog bite | Bite of a dog | Dog bite |
| Hand wash | Wash by hand | Hand wash |
| Oil painting | A painting painted with oil colours | Oil-painting |
| Weather report | Report on the weather | Weather report |
| Sight seeing | Seeing on various sights | Sightseeing |
| Cycle racing | The racing of cycles | Cycle-racing |
| Travel guide | A person who guides a traveller | Travel guide |
-
Verb + Noun
| Verb/Gerund (verb+ing) + Noun | Meaning/Expansion | Nominal Compound |
| Dance hall | A hall for dances | Dance hall |
| Looking glass | A glass for looking at oneself | Looking-glass |
| Reading desk | A desk for reading | Reading-desk |
| Walking stick | A stick for walking | Walking-stick |
| Fighter plane | A plane that is a fighter | Fighter plane |
| Bathing pond | A pond for bathing | Bathing pond |
| Swimming pool | A pool for swimming | Swimming pool |
| Starting time | Time for starting something | Starting-time |
| Closing time | Time for closing something | Closing-time |
| Play ground | Ground for play | Playground |
| Washing machine | A machine for washing clothes | Washing-machine |
| Waiting room | A room for waiting | Waiting-room |
-
Adjective + Noun
| Adjective + Noun | Meaning/Expansion | Nominal Compound |
| Black board | A board which is black | Blackboard |
| Noble man | A man who is noble | Nobleman |
| Gentle man | A man who is gentle by behaviour | Gentleman |
| Dead body | A body which is dead | Dead body |
| Mid night | A night which is mid-time | Mid-night |
| Half pant | A pant that is half | Half-pant |
| Green room | A room which is used for dressing and making up of the actors in a theatre | Green-room |
| Yellow bird | A bird which is yellow | Yellowbird |
| Dark room | A room which is dark | Darkroom |
| Red dress | A dress which is red in colour | Red dress |
-
Nominal Compounds with more than two words:
| Long + distance + trains | The trains which cover long distances | Long-distance trains |
| Labour + saving + method | A method that saves labour | Labour saving method |
| Traffic + control + system | A system that controlling traffic | Traffic control system |
| Delhi + bus + routes | Bus routes of Delhi | Delhi bus routes |
| World + famous + cricketer | A cricketer is known about by people all over the world | World famous cricketer |
| Hand + made + clothes | Clothes made by hand | Hand made clothes |
| Bullet + proof + jacket | A jacket that protects from bullet | Bulletproof jacket |
| Birth + day + party | A party where one’s birthday is celebrated | Birthday party |
Nominal Compound Exercise:
Expand the Following Nominal Compounds:
1. Loud-speaker
2. Iron determination
3. Windmill
4. Houseboat
5. Daylight
Nominal Compound Exercise With Answer:
1. Loud-speaker: A speaker (machine) that heightens sounds to a high pitch.
2. Iron determination: A determination as strong as iron
3. Windmill: A mill (grinding machine) which is driven by wind power.
4. Houseboat: Boat used as a house
5. Daylight: Light of the day
Click Below To Read Also:
1. Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives [Simple 2022 Updated]
2. Degrees of Comparison of Adverbs [Simple 2022 Updated]
3. Transformation of Degrees of Comparison [Simple 2022 Updated]