在英语合成词中，合成名词（compound nouns）数量很多，而且可以按照既定规律自行构造新词。

　　合成名词构造法主要有下列八种：

　　①名词+名词，如
　　daybreak, sunrise, cattleshed, house-keeper, shoe-maker, headache, night-club, pocket-knife, arm-chair, wine-glass, ink-stand, man-servant, maid-servant, steamboat, goldsmith, newspaper, lawsuit等。

　　②形容词+名词，如
　　blackboard, commonweath, highway, stronghold, sweetheart, easy-chair, grandson, blueprint, deadline, high-brow, lazy-bones等。

　　③动词+名词，如
　　drawbridge, grindstone, playground, pickpocket, breakfast, cut-throat, makeshift, sing-song, turn-coat, washbasin 等。

　　④副词虚词+名词，如
　　afterthought, offshoot, outbreak, byway, bylaw, outpost, overcoat, underclothes, outgrowth, downpour, upkeep, bystander等。

　　⑤副词虚词+动词，如
　　income, outlet, outlook, onset, outfit, upstart, inlet, offspring, outburst, offset等。

　　⑥动词+副词，如
　　die-hard, breakdown, drawback, set-up, break-up, farewell, standstill, feedback等。

　　⑦名词+动名词，如
　　book-keeping, town-planning, letter-writing, word-building, tiger-hunting, paper-manufacturing, bill-collecting, car-repairing, television-advertising, window-shopping, day-dreaming, photocopying, handwriting等。

　　⑧其他，如
　　man-of-war, forget-me-not, son-in-law, mother-in-law, commander-in-chief, editor-in-chief, merry-go-round, hide-and-seek, stay-at-home, jack-in-the-box等。

　　在这8种构词法中，第7类“名词+动名词”最富生命力。此外，动名词还可以下列三形式构成合成名词：

　　㈠动名词+名词，如
　　drinking water, listening material, fishingrod, waiting-room, looking-glass, stepping-stone, running mate 等。

　　㈡动名词+副词虚词，如
　　swearing-in, going-over

　　㈢副词+动名词，如
　　uprising, well-being 等。

 
(责任编辑：泰雅)