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samasa / समास: Noun Compounds
a cornucopia of compounds
What is a Noun Compound (samāsa)Compounds are just a pair or sequence of nominals [ N1 + N2 ] ...N1 (which could be an adjective) has no case marking in compound. Since case markings enable free word order, lost case markings are made up for by strict head-last ordering, a principle which allows us to figure out what are the relations among the elements.
Analysis (vigraha)Compound analysis is tail-recursive, that is:
A B C D E = [A [B [C [D E]]]]Every element is to be understood as modifying the entire remainder of the compound, after itself. Case roles are marked explicitly only on the last Noun in the compound, which show its role in the larger sentence. But inside the compound case remains an implicit relation.
KD: Karmadharaya (same role)Type 1: [ Adj + N ]KD . Adjective simply modifies the Noun.Type 2: [ N1 + N ]KD . N1 qualifies N as in apposition or equation. The implicit case of the modifying Adj or N1, when made explicit in an analysis exercise, is understood to be the same as the case of N. TP: Tatpurusha (different roles)[ N1 N2 ]TP# caseIn TP compounds, the N1 case when made explicit in an analysis exercise, is understood to be DIFFERENT FROM the case of N. Hence analysis gives a label to the compound depending on the case of N1: The # in TP#, say 3, means the implicit case for N1 would be third case, instrumental.
BV: Bahuvrihi (Headless Compounds)Bahuvrīhi / बहुव्रीहि [ N1 N2 ] BH = one whose N2 is N1Since the head "one" whose characteristics are described by the elements of the BV compound is not explicitly given or apparent in the compound, this could be termed a headless compound. DD: dvandva (multi-headed compoundsdvandva samāsa / द्वन्द्व समास : two-two compounds.[ N* ] N$ + case$ = a conjunction of N's.Since both (or all, if more than two) N's in a dvandva compound count equally as the head N of the compound, this could be termed two-headed or multi-headed compounds. Ind: IndeclineableIndeclineable noun compounds: avyayibhāvasamāsa / अव्ययिभावसमास
{ upasarga | sa / स (with) | ya+pronoun } + N + [ -अम् / -am ] = Adverb SummaryAll logical possibilities are covered by a typology of Nominal Compounds (Samāsa).
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