Compound Words

Compound words are composed of two or more words. In their structure, they may be of the following forms -

Co-ordination

Co-ordination is when all components are of equal status, and of the same form class and if they also have about the same meaning then they are called as synonymic compound

Some Co-ordinate Compounds

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Bòi Káwm	boj! komq#	prostrate infront of superior such as king (bòi- to bow, worship, káwm- to pray)
	Àwng Sawn	Ao[q! sonq	to instruct (àwng - to lead, son - teach)
	Àwng Pè	Ao[q! ep!	to conquer (àwng - to lead, pè - conquer)
	Yáam Máwng	y,mq# mo[q#	clock/time (yáam - time; hour, máwng - gong)
	Pàek Pērng	pVkq! pE[q@	different (pàek - different from others, pērng - different in kind)
	Hâk Páeng	hkq$ pV[q#	love (hâk - to love, páeng - be in love)
	Tsōi Thaem	coj@ vVmq	to help (tsōi - help;aid, thaem - to assist;help)
	Pàang Sau	sukq$ s]	aglow/glowing (eg. pàang - be clear; sau - clear)
	Hēr Thàwng	hEw@ vo[q!	shine (eg. hēr - shine;glitter, thàwng - shine)
	Nák Na	nkq# na	be important (nák - heavy, na - thick)
	Lāat Thàwp	l,tq@ vopq!	to reply/answer (lāat - speak, thàwp - reply)
	Káwk Ho	kokq# hUw	skull (káwk - skull, ho - head)
	Hōei Loi	hUNq@ loj	valley (hōei - valley, loi/doi - hill)

Co-ordinate compounds are called as kháam kū in Dai lit. meaning word-pair of which you have already seen some examples. But here are some more common ones.

Some more particular examples of kháam kū

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Pāw Māe	epa@ em]@	parents (pāw-father, māe-mother)
	Pù Yā	pU! ya@	grandparents (pù - grandfather, yā - grandmother)
	Pho Mé	fUw em#	husband-wife (pho - husband, mé - wife)
	Pī Nâwng	pI@ no[q$	siblings (pī - elder, nâwng - younger)
	Tsáai Yíng	c,j# yi[q#	men and women (tsáai - male, yíng - female)
	Bàao Saao	B,w! s,w	boys and girls (bàao - unmarried boy, saao - unmarried girl)
	Xāo Nâm	xw@ nmq$	food (xāo - rice, nâm - water)

Modification

Modification is when one component is head an other component modifies that to create a new word

Head-Modified Compounds

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Pī Nâwng Àwk	pI@ no[q$ Aokq!	blood-related sibling (pīnâwng- sibling, àwk- biological)
	Kaang Nau	k,[q n]	morning time (kaang-middle, nau-morning)
	Kaang Wán	k,[q bnq#	afternoon, during day, daytime (kaang-middle, wán-day)
	Kaang Xām	k,[q xmq@	evening time (kaang-middle, xām-evening)
	Ker Waan	kEw b,nq	sugar (ker - salt, waan - sweet)
	Ngáo Tông	[w# tU[q$	movie (ngáo - shadow;silhouette;image, tông - move)
	Lôt Fái	lUtq$ fj#	train (lôt - car, fái - fire)
	Pa Xám	pa xmq#	goldfish (pa - fish, xám - gold)
	Nôk Xūm	nUkq$ xumq@	quail (nôk - bird, xūm - bald; without hair/feathers)

Affixation

Affixation is when one component is basically just an affix for word creation. Some very common affixes are

Some Common Affixes for Compound-Creation

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Ho	hUw	head; things shaped like head (eg. ho tsau - heart)
	Àwk	Aokq!	biological suffix, be of same parent (eg. pī àwk - elder brother or sister)
	Páai	p,j#	field, scope (eg. páai nâp - maths/arithematics/field of numbers)
	Saai	s,j	line, cord, string (eg. saai làet - sunlight/line of sun)
	Tī	tI@	place (eg. tī phàan - crossing lit. place-across)
	Nâm	nmq$	water, nominal noun affix (nâm nák- weight TODO)
	Haw	eha	palace (eg. haw xám - royal palace lig. golden palace)
	Róng	rU[q#	spacious building; affix for buildings (róng rén- school lit. building of learning)
	Hāwng	ho[q@	interval between two posts of a house; affix for rooms (hāwng nâm- bathroom lit. water-room)
	Nôk	nUkq$	bird; affix before bird names (nôk ka - crow or lit. bird-crow)
	Màwk	mokq!	flower; affix before flower names (màwk mo - lotus or lit. flower-lotus)
	Lāwng	lo[q@	thing, reason, method, verb/adj affix (eg. lāwng han phít - illusion or lit. see-mistake)
	Táang	t,[q#	path; convert verb adjectives to noun (eg. táang kā - dance, táang sung - height)

Examples of Affix-added Compounds

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Saai Ta	s,j ta	eyesight/visibility (lit. eye-line)
	Saai Tsau	s,j c]	soul/lifeline (lit. heart-line)
	Saai Làed	s,j lVtq!	sunlight (làet - sun)
	Paái Saai	p,j# s,j	science (lit. study of cord)
	Paái Máwn	p,j# monq#	arts (lit. study of excellence)
	Paái Nâp	p,j# n[q#	mathematics (lit. study of numbers)
	Paái Mérng	p,j# mE[q#	politics (lit. study of country)
	Paái Māak Mí	p,j# m,kq@ mI#	economics (lit. study of wealth)
	Paái Sérk	p,j# sEkq#	military-affairs (lit. study of war)
	Haw Phi	eha fI	temple (lit. spirit-palace)
	Haw Yáam Máwng	eha y,mq# mo[q#	clocktower (lit. clock-palace)
	Róng Lēr	rU[q# lEw@	hotel (lēr - relax)
	Róng Kaan	rU[q# k,nq	office (kaan - work)
	Róng Nae Pói	rU[q# en] poj#	theater (nae - show, pói -event)
	Rón Ngáo Tông	rU[q# [w# tU[q$	cinema hall (lit. movie-building)
	Róng Ya Long	rU[q# ya lU[q	hospital (lit. róng ya - medicine building/clinic, long - great)
	Hāwng Náwn	ho[q@ nonq#	bedroom (lit. sleep-room)
	Hāwng Nâm	ho[q@ nM$	bathroom (lit. water-room)
	Táang Li	t,[q# lI	goodness (li - adj. good)
	Táang Kin	t,[q# kinq	food (gin - v. eat)
	Táang Hâk	t,[q# hkq$	love (hâk - verb, táang hâk - noun)
	Táang Wôn	t,[q# bonq$	thoughts (wôn - v. think)
	Táang Hû	t,[q# hU$	knowledge (hû - v. know)
	Lāwng Hâai	lo[q@ h,j$	bad things (hâai - bad, evil)
	Lāwng Mērk	lo[q@ mEkq@	brutality/wickedness (mērk - to be wicked, dark-minded)
	Lāwng Han Phít	lo[q@ hnq fitq#	illusion (han - see phít - mistake)
	Lāwng Káwt Phaan	lo[q@ kotq# f,nq	poverty (káwt - be penniless; bankrupt, phaan - be poor)
	Lāwng Háwm Sawng	lo[q@ hoM# so[q	sex (háwm - join/unite, sawng - two)
	Lāwng Lûk Phêrn	lo[q@ lukq# fEnq#	revolution (lûk - arise, phêrn - throw back/rebel)
	Lāwng Pàek Pērng	lo[q@ pVkq! pE[q@	difference (pàek pērng - v. different)
	Lāwng Màan Māen	lo[q@ m,nq! mVnq@	Truth (màan māen - v. be certain/ true)
	Lāwng Tsau Dam	lo[q@ c] dmq	Anger (tsau dam - v. be angry)
	Lāwng Sûk Tsau	lo[q@ sukq$ c]	Stress (sûk tsau - v. be stressed)

Complementation

Complementation is when one component is basically a complement. Examples

Verb-Object Pair (Complement) Compounds

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Xát Tsau	xtq# c]	make effort (xát-make effort, tsau - heart)
	Tsàwm Tsau	comq! c]	to mind, take to heart (tsàwm - to put into, tsau - heart)
	Dāi Tsau	dj@ c]	to like something (dāi - to get, tsau - heart)
	Xāwp Tsau	xopq@ c]	thank; appreciate (xāwp - thank, tsau - heart)
	Sûk Tsau	sukq$ c]	be stressed (sûk - be disturbed; be messed up, tsau - heart)
	Thùk Tsau	vukq! c]	like/love (thùk - be suitable for, tsau - heart)
	Pàang Tsau	p,[q! c]	be clear/refreshed (pàang - be clear; tsau - heart)
	Ngín Aai	[inq# A,j	feel shy; ashamed (ngín - feel, aai - shame)
	Hót Nâm	hUtq# nmq$	water plants/flowers (hót - throw water, nâm - water)
	Hét Kaan	hCtq# k,nq	to work (hét - do, kaan- work)

Four-Syllable Expressions

Four Syllable Expressions or Elaborate Co-ordinate Compounds are mostly set phrases that create a rhythmic pattern often used in poems and songs. Below are some examples of the same

Some Four Syllable Expressions in Dai Ahom

	Roman	Ahom	Meaning
	Máe Dām Máe Phi	em]# dmq@ em]# fI	prepare (offering) for ancestral spirits (phi - spirit, dām - ancestral spirit)
	Mí Nī Mí Xàwt	mI# nI@ mI# xotq!	be in debt (nī : khàwt : debt)
	Mí Xāo Mí Nâm	mI# xw@ mI# nmq$	to have food (xāo - rice, nâm - water)
	Gin Xāo Gin Nâm	kinq xw@ kinq nmq$	to eat food (ibid.)
	Gān Xāo Gān Nâm	knq@ xw@ knq@ nmq$	to be deprived of food (gān – prevent from natural action)
	Hung Xāo Hung Nâm	hu[q xw@ hu[q nmq$	to cook food (hung – to cook or boil food)
	Lāwng Li Lāwng Tsâ	lo[q@ lI lo[q@ ca$	good and bad (li / di : good, tsâ : bad)
	Táang Ko Táang Aai	t,[q# kUw t,[q# A,j	fear and shame (ko : fear, aai : shy)
	Xàwt Hâk Xàwt Páeng	xotq! hkq$ xotq! pV[q#	be united in love (xàwt: tie knot/debt, hâk : páeng: love)
	Hâk Kan Páeng Kan	hkq$ knq pV[q# knq	be be in love (kan - each other)
	Táang Hû Táang Han	t,[q# hU$ t,[q# hnq	knowledge (rû/hû : know, han : see)
	Táang Pyàw Táang Mōn	t,[q# epia! t,[q# mUnq@	entertainment (pyàw: mōn : happy/joy)
	Tī Pàang Tī Péng	tI@ p,[q! tI@ pC[q#	level place/plains (pàang: péng: unequal, level)
	Kū Tī Kū Táang	kU@ tI@ kU@ t,[q#	everywhere (kū: every, tī: place, táang: way)
	Kū Kâw Kū Kón	kU@ eka$ kU@ kUnq#	everyone/everybody (kâw: kún/kón : person)
	Kū Phàai Kū Pā	tI@ p,[q! tI@ pC[q#	everyside / every direction (phàai : pā : side)
	Kū Mêr Kū Wán	kU@ mEw$ kU@ wnq#	everyday / daily (mêr : day - not used alone)
	Kū Tsō Kū Yáam	kU@ cUw@ kU@ y,mq#	everytime / all the time (yáam - time)
	Kū Tsō Kū Paan	kU@ cUw@ kU@ p,nq	everyera / every lifetime
	Kū Xìng Kū Xāao	kU@ xi[q! kU@ x,w@	everytime (xìng : xāao : time)

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