noun
- Plural of bahuvrihi; a type of compound word in which the meaning is not the sum of its parts, typically denoting a person or thing characterized by the qualities named in the compound.
Usage: linguistics; Sanskrit grammar term adopted into English linguistic terminology
Examples
- In English, 'redhead' is a bahuvrihi compound because it refers to a person with red hair, not to something that is both red and a head.
- The term 'bahuvrihis' comes from Sanskrit grammar, where such compounds were extensively studied.
- Linguists use bahuvrihis to describe compounds like 'flatfoot' and 'highbrow'.
- Understanding bahuvrihis helps explain why some compound words have meanings that cannot be predicted from their individual parts.