The German Language is notable for the extensive use of compound words. Nouns, verbs, adjectives etc are combined to make new words without use of hyphens. This index page gives common combinations and some idea of the gender and meaning of the resulting words.
Eventually each item below will link to a page of info and examples, but none is ready now.
Noun + noun is the most frequent combination. Note that the compound takes its gender from the last component:
| der Vater | das Land | ==> | das Vaterland |
| the father | the land | ==> | the native country |
The first component is frequently a noun in the genitive singular:
| der Geist | die Kraft | ==> | Geisteskraft |
| the spirit | the power | ==> | intellectual power |
The adjective usually remains uninflected:
| jung | die Frau | ==> | die Jungfrau |
| young | the woman | ==> | the maiden |
The first component is a verbal stem:
| kaufen | der Preis | ==> | der Kaufpreis |
| to buy | the price | ==> | the purchase price |
| ja | das Wort | ==> | das Jawort |
| yes | the word | ==> | the assent |
The first component is the noun in either the nominative or genitive:
| das Apfel | rund | ==> | Apfelrund |
| the appel | round | ==> | as round as an apple |
| hell | grün | ==> | hellgrün |
| bright | green | ==> | bright-green |
Suggestions, corrections, and comments are appreciated: Contact Harold Eddleman indbio@disknet.com