Headed and Headless Compounds

 

Headed and Headless Compounds

 Headed Compounds:

   Also known as endocentric compounds.

   Examples include blackboard, greenstone.

   These compounds have an internal center or a main element.

 Headless Compounds:

   Also known as exocentric compounds.

   Lack an internal center, meaning they don't represent a specific type.

   Examples: pickpocket, faintheart.

   In pickpocket, it's not a specific type of pocket; in faintheart, it's not a specific type of heart.

 Variation in Headless Compounds:

   Some headless compounds of the VN type resemble secondary compounds where the noun to the right of the verb is considered its object.

   Examples: Pickpocket, killjoy, cutpurse.

 Not Necessarily Nouns:

   Headless compounds may have the second element not being a noun.

   Example: Takeoff, sellout, wrapup, sitin.

   In these examples, the root is a verb plus another word, and the second element isn't a noun.

 Conclusion:

   The distinction between headed and headless compounds is crucial for understanding their structure and meaning.

   Headless compounds can involve various parts of speech and don't necessarily follow the pattern of the components being nouns.