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Bahuvrihi

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mtarini (talk | contribs) at 02:06, 9 December 2005 (enriched the definiton, and made the text clearer). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A bahuvrihi, or bahuvrihi compound, is a particular kind of 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 that the compound as a whole functions as an adjective. Bahuvrihis are often referred to pejorative properties of human beings.

The term was first used by Sanskrit grammarians and comes from a specific Sanskrit example: a compound consisting of bahu (much) and vrihi (rice) and meaning 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