[Multilingual Monday] Compound Fun
Another post-Hebrew class quickie:
One of the things I initially loved about my study of Chinese characters is its often unique use of compounds. Where other languages would have separate words for various concepts, this isn't so in, say, Japanese:
首, kubi, "neck", yields:
手首, tekubi, "wrist" ("hand neck")
足首, ashikubi, "ankle" ("foot neck")
Likewise, 糞, kuso, "shit/feces", yields:
鼻糞, hanakuso, "snot" ("noseshits")
耳糞, mimikuso, "earwax" ("earshits")
目糞, mekuso, "eye discharge" ("eyeshits")
歯糞, hakuso, "plaque" ("toothshits")
Many languages combine nouns together logically to make new concepts; here is where you offer some of what you feel to be the most ingenious compounds in any language, even English. ^o^
One of the things I initially loved about my study of Chinese characters is its often unique use of compounds. Where other languages would have separate words for various concepts, this isn't so in, say, Japanese:
首, kubi, "neck", yields:
手首, tekubi, "wrist" ("hand neck")
足首, ashikubi, "ankle" ("foot neck")
Likewise, 糞, kuso, "shit/feces", yields:
鼻糞, hanakuso, "snot" ("noseshits")
耳糞, mimikuso, "earwax" ("earshits")
目糞, mekuso, "eye discharge" ("eyeshits")
歯糞, hakuso, "plaque" ("toothshits")
Many languages combine nouns together logically to make new concepts; here is where you offer some of what you feel to be the most ingenious compounds in any language, even English. ^o^