From Bartleby and Encarta:
NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. ba·hu·vri·his
A compound word functioning as an adjective whose last element is in origin a noun. For example, in the phrase high-fiber diet, the compound high-fiber is a bahuvrihi modifying diet that ends in the noun fiber.
A compound word in which the first part describes the second or governs it grammatically, and the second element cannot be substituted for the whole, e.g. "yellowhammer" or "afternoon"
Mid-19th century. < Sanskrit bahuvrīhi "possessing much rice," a typical example of this class.
bahuvrihi
-
- Lexiterian
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:46 am
- Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
- Contact:
bahuvrihi
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." -- Mark Twain
-
- Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
- Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil
-
- Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 1141
- Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:24 am
- Location: Stockholm, SVERIGE
I think this is a wonderful word and I really hope that our good doctor falls for uncronopio's suggestion - not least as it would then be, unless memory fails, the only Sanskrit word to be awarded GWotD status. It would be fitting to have a word that, however indirectly, commemorates the outstanding work of Sanskrit grammarians like Pāņini....
Henri
Henri
曾记否,到中流击水,浪遏飞舟?
Return to “Good Word Suggestions”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests