Bahuvrihi
A bahuvrihi is a compound that refers to something that is not specified by any of its parts by themselves, especially a compound that refers to a possessor of an object specified. For instance, a sabertooth is neither a saber nor a tooth; it is a smilodon, an extinct feline with saber-like fangs. It is common, though not compulsory, that the last constituent in such a compound is a noun and the compound as a whole functions as an adjective. Bahuvrihi is a Sanskrit compound that consists of bahu (much) and vrihi (rice) but means a rich person — a person who owns a lot of rice. Other examples of English bahuvrihis include flatfoot, half-wit, highbrow, lowlife, redhead, tenderfoot, and white-collar.
See also
Categories: Linguistics | Sanskrit