ordsammansättning

Ordsammansättning, also known as compounding, is a linguistic process where two or more words are combined to form a new word. This new word, a compound word, typically has a meaning that is related to, but not necessarily identical to, the meanings of its constituent parts. The process is common in many languages, including Swedish, German, and English.

In Swedish, ordsammansättning is a very productive word-formation strategy. Compound words are often written as a single word, such as "solros" (sunflower), formed from "sol" (sun) and "ros" (rose). The first word in a compound often acts as a modifier, specifying the type or nature of the second word. For example, in "bilnyckel" (car key), "bil" (car) specifies the type of key.

The grammatical category of a compound word is usually determined by its last component. For instance, if the last component is a noun, the compound word will be a noun. The stress in a Swedish compound word typically falls on the first element. This can help distinguish between compounds and juxtaposed words, although ambiguity can sometimes arise.

Compound words can be formed from various word classes, including nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Examples include "springa" (to run) + "sko" (shoe) = "springsko" (running shoe), or "stor" (big) + "stad" (city) = "storstad" (big city). Understanding ordsammansättning is crucial for comprehending the vocabulary and grammatical structures of languages where it is prevalent.