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bahuvrihi

[ bah-hoo-vree-hee ]

noun

, plural ba·hu·vri·his.
  1. Grammar. a compound noun or adjective consisting of two constituents, the first of which is adjectival and describes the person or object denoted by the second, which is nominal: the compound as a whole denotes or describes a person or object having what is denoted by the second element, as bonehead, heavy-handed, redcoat.


bahuvrihi

/ ˌbɑːhuːˈvriːhiː /

noun

  1. a class of compound words consisting of two elements the first of which is a specific feature of the second
  2. a compound word of this type, such as hunchback , bluebell , highbrow
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bahuvrihi1

1840–50; < Sanskrit: literally, having much rice, equivalent to bahu- much + vrīhi rice; used to name the type of compound word of which it is an example
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Word History and Origins

Origin of bahuvrihi1

C19: from Sanskrit bahuvrīhi , itself this type of compound, from bahu much + vrīh rice
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Example Sentences

Let it be taken as a Bahuvríhi or relative compound.

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bahutbai