A very common form of compound word, in English as in many other languages, is the Reduplicative.

Some reduplicatives are merely syllables doubled, like bulbul, murmur. A child says gee-gee for horse; tut-tut! expresses annoyance; some people say chin-chin for good-bye. Pretty-pretty means too pretty; goody-goody means pretending to goodness.

But generally reduplicatives are repetitions of syllables with some change in one of them. Many of them are imitations of sounds. Ding-dong (sound of bells; with great vigour); dingle-dangle (swinging to and fro); flip-flop (sound of someone walking in loose slippers, etc.); helter-skelter (full-speed recklessly); higgledy-piggledy (in untidy confusion); hubbub (confused loud noise); pit-a-pat (sound of heart beating, etc.); riff-raff (rabble); see-saw, tittle-tattle (gossip); willy-nilly [whether he (one) will or not]; and over a thousand others.

# Make sentences showing the use of these compounds.

Finger-tips 

Ginger-beer 

Highlands 

Holdall (Carryall)

Ice-cream 

Income

Keepsake

Newspaper 

Shoe-Lace 

Sundown 

Ticket-collector 

Wardrobe

# Name the parts of speech in the following Compound words, and say what part of speech each compound is.

Nobody; bystander; henceforth; uprising; overwork; therefore; welcome; left-handed; evergreen; understand; well-contested; notwithstanding.

# Make sentences containing the above compound words.

Compound Verbs are formed as follows.

1. By adding,

(a) Noun to Noun. 

(b) Noun to Verb. 

(a) Sidetrack.

(b) Earmark, shipwreck, waylay. …

2. By adding Adjective to Verb.

Fulfill, safeguard, whitewash. …

3. By adding Adverb to Verb.

Ill-use, overtake, understand, uplift, withhold. …

Compound Adjectives are also formed in various ways. 

1. By adding,

(a) Noun to Noun. 

(b) Noun to Adjective.

(c) Noun to Participle. 

(d) Noun to Noun as Participle.

(a) Shipshape (= in good order). 

(b) Homesick, lifelong-, knee-deep, praiseworthy, selfsame, sea-green, waterproof.

(c) Cloth-bound, frost-bitten, heartbroken, life-giving, home-made.

(d) Rubber-soled, stream-lined, round-shouldered, gold-plated.

2. By adding,

(a) Adjective to Adjective. 

(b) Adjective to Noun as Participle.

(c) Adjective to Participle.

(d) Adjective to Adverb.

(a) Blue-black, red-hot, mock-modest, suchlike.

(b) Good-natured, grey-haired, old-fashioned, shortsighted. 

(c) Clean-shaven, good-looking, high-strung, left-handed.

(d) Straightforward. …

3. By adding, 

(a) Adverb to Adjective.

(b) Adverb to Participle.

(c) Adverb to Verb. 

(d) Adverb to Adverb.

(a) Evergreen.

(b) Bygone, downtrodden, ill-fitting, well-known.

(c) Well-to-do. 

(d) Roundabout. …

4. By adding,

(a) Verb to Adverb. 

(b) Verb to Verb.

(c) Verb to Noun.

(a) A go-ahead young man, a knock-out blow, a run-away horse, a tumble-down cottage. 

(b) A touch-and-go matter.

(c) A roll-top desk. …

# Make sentences in which you use the above words.

Suffixes denoting Action, Quality or State.

1. English Suffixes.

Dom, head, hood, ing, ness, scape, ship, t, ther, th.

Wisdom
Godhead
Livelihood
Batting
Darkness
Landscape
Hardship
Height
Further
Width

2. Of French Origin (generally going back to Latin).

Age, ance, ancy, ery, es(s), ise, our, son, ty, ure, y.

Courage
appearance
constancy
misery
prowess
riches
exercise
honour
comparison
loyalty
pleasure
glory

3. Of Latin Origin.

Acity, acy, al, ality, ation, cide, ence, ency, ice, ility, ion, mony, or, osity, tude, ty, ulence, ury.

Sagacity
Fallacy
Recital
Mentality
Hesitation
Suicide
Silence
Frequency
Prejudice
Probability
Occasion
Ceremony
Stupor
Generosity
Solitude
Piety
Virulence
Penury

3. Of Greek Origin.

Cracy, ia, ism, latry, metry, on.

Democracy
Mania
Heroism
Idolatry
Geometry
Electron

Noun Suffixes.

Name the Prefixes in the following words and gave their meaning.

Asleep,

Forbid,

Mistake,

Neither,

Unpack;

Ally,

Bicycle,

Composition,

Departure,

Illegal,

Postpone,

Pronoun,

Separate,

Suffer,

Transfer,

Uniform;

Amphitheatre,

Automobile,

Diameter,

Catalogue,

Parallel,

Sympathy.

A, an: (= not, without). Adamant, anarchy.

Amphi: (= both, around). Amphibious, amphitheatre.

Ana: (= up, back). Analysis, anatomy.

Ant, Anti: (= against). Antagonist, antidote.

Apo: (= off, from). Apology, apostle, apostrophe.

Arch: (= chief). Archbishop, architect.

Auto: (= self). Autobiography, automobile.

Dia: (= through). Diagonal, diagram, diameter.

Dys: (= badly). Dysentery, dyspepsia.

Ec, ex: (= out). Eccentric, ecstasy, exodus.

En, em: (= in). Energy, enthusiasm; emphasis.

Epi, eph: (= upon, in addition to). Epidemic, epigram, episode, epistle.

Eu, Ev: (= well). Eulogy; evangelist.

Homo: (= same, like). Homogeneous.

Hyper: (= over, too). Hyper-sensitive.

Hypo: (= under). Hypocrite, hypothesis.

(Kata) cata, cat : (= down). Catalogue, catastrophe, cathedral, catholic.

Meta, met: (= with, after). Metaphor, meteor, method.

Mono: (= alone, one). Monogram, monograph, monopoly, monotonous.

Pan, panto: (= all). Pan-American; panacca, panorama, pantomime.

Para: (= beside, beyond, against). Paradox, paragraph, paraphrase; parallel.

Peri: (= round, about). Perimeter, period

Phil, philo: (= loving). Philanthropist, philosopher.

Poly: ( = many). Polyglot, polygon, Polynesia.

Syn, syl, sym, sy: (= with). Syntax; syllable; sympathy; system.

Tele: (= far). Telegraph, telephone, television.

[The derivatives in square brackets came from Latin words through French.]

A, ab, abs: (various meanings) Avert, [abolish], absent, absurd, abuse, abstain, abstract.

Ad: (= to, and d changes into the following consonant). Adapt, address, adverb, affect, agree, ally, annotate, appeal, arrest, assist, attempt.

Ante, anti, an: (= before). Antecedent, anticipation, ancestor.

Bene: (= well). Benefactor, benefit, benevolent.

Bi, bin, bis: (= two, twice). Bicycle, bisect, bi-weekly, binoculars, biscuit.

Circu, circum: (= round). Circuit, circumference.

Con, com, col, cor: (= with, together). Concert, conduct, congratulate, construct, conversation; command, common, composition; collect, college, correct, corrupt.

Contra: (= against). Contradict, contract, contraband, [counteract].

De: (= from, flown). Decay, defeat, denote, depart.

Dis, di, dif: (= away, apart, not). Discover, dishonour, diminish, differ.

Ex, e, ef: (= out). Exchange, exist, expense; eject, elect, effect, effort.

Extra: (= beyond). Extraordinary, extravagant.

In, il, im, ir: (= in, into). Increase, index, influence, inquire, insect, intend, invention; illumination, illustration; important; irrigation. [Embrace, enforce, entice.]

In, il, im, ir: (= not). Incorrect, independence, infant, innocent; illegal; immortal, impure; irregular.

Inter:(= among). Interest, interview, [entertain.]

Intro: (= to the inside). Introduce.

Male: (= ill.) Malefactor. [Maltreat, malaria (Ital.) = bad air.]

Non: (= not). Nonsense, non-violence.

Ob oc, op, of: (= in the way of). Object, oblige, occupy; offer, office; oppose.

Per, pel: (= through, completely). Perfect, permanent, persuade; pellucid.

Post: (= after). Postpone, postscript.

Pre: (= before). Predicate, preface, prepare, preposition. [Press.]

Pro: (= in front of, for, instead of). Proceed, produce, profit, promise, pronoun.

Re, red: (= again, back). Recover, reduction, reflect, refuse, relation, redeem.

Se: (= apart). Secret, secure, selection, separate.

Semi: (= half). Semicircle, semicolon.

Sub, suc, suf, sag, sum, sup, sur, sus: (= under). Subject, subjunctive; succeed; suffer; suggest; summon; support; [surge;] sustain.

Super, sur: (= over). Superficial, superhuman. [Surface, surprise.]

Trans, tra, tres: (= across). Transfer, translate; traverse. [Trespass.]

Tri, ter, tre: (= three). Triangle, trivial; tercentenary. [Treble, trefoil.]

Uni: (= one). Uniform, university.

Vice, vis: (instead of). [Viceroy], vice-principal. [Viscount.]