95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
Compound Adjectives in English and Arabic
as a contrastive study
A Research Submitted by
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
Abstract
Traditionally adjective phrases are defined as phrases
that consist of an adjective and any modifier such as adverbs
and preposition. They are the most frequent and considered the
most prototypical grammatical from that function as noun
modifiers.
This research ,in particular, deals with one aspect of
adjectives, namely, compound. They are words, phrases and
clauses that function as adjective. They named "compound
adjectives". e.g. [The green-house effect]. It is important to
introduce this descriptive class of words, to compare with
Arabic language in order to maintain or limit the most
important similarities and differences that can be found in both
systems. Also we see as(an experience teacher of English
language) that the students need to be aware and understand
the meaning ,proper usage of this descriptive tools in order to
develop their proficiency in English language.
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
The present research is divided into three sections. The
first section has been devoted to study compound adjectives in
English. It examines different kinds of compound adjectives
viz., hyphen and non hyphen classified on the bases of form,
meaning and function. It studies the syntactic function of
compound adjectives i.e as a pre modifier of the noun phrase
and their restriction use whether it is hyphenated or nonhyphenated
The second section has attempted a descriptive analysis of the
two types of compound adjectives in Arabic viz., actual and
causal, on the basis of their references and syntactic features. It
describes the restrictions uses of the two types.
Finally, on the basis of the descriptive analysis of compound
adjectives in English and Arabic done separately in section 1
and section 2 respectively, a contrastive study is attempted in
section 3, to bring out the similarities and dissimilarities
between the two systems.
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
Section 1
1.1 What does compound mean?
According to Ryodo Ogata , English grammarians, including
traditional one have dealt with compound but they seem to have
failed to give a precise definition of compounds.
Later, Sweet (1891) defines a compound as a "combination
of two words equivalent formally and logically to a single word".
He means by "formally" a single, in dividable by "logically" Sweet
implies that compounds are characterized by "meaningparticularization" which can't be a criterion for compounds.
But Bloomfield (1933) suggests that "The construction of
compound words are most similar to the construction of syntax". So
compound is a word composed of more that one free morpheme.
And English compounds may be classified in several ways such as
the word classes or the semantic relationships or know the rule that
were supposed to hyphenate compound adjectives when they
appear before a noun not after a noun.
1.2 Compound Adjectives
Adjectives in compounds are inseparable from their
constituent. They are modifying compounds and expressions
"multi-word modifiers" like:
bitter-sweet chocolate
a hand-woven scarf
a kind-hearted aunt
Meys (1975) called compound adjectives as "condensed
sentences" That is to say "meaning – particularization" mainly
based on evidence presented by noun compounds. This can be
readily seen when we think of compound adjectives like timeconsuming or self- built. [Meys (1975) classified compound
adjectives in the frame of transformational generative grammar].
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
time – consuming procedures
English compound adjectives are constructed. It is a modifier
of a noun. It is made of two or more morphemes of which left-hand
component limits or changes the modification of the right- hand
one, as in "the dark- blue eye" dark limits the "blue" that modifies
"eye". So compound adjective comprises more than one word,
usually hyphens are used to link the words together to show that it
is one adjective.
That is an all-too-common mistake.
an up-to-date dictionary.
1.3 Syntactic form of compound adjectives:
As it clearly to all that the study of rules of a language is
called grammar which is a field of linguistics. It is the study of how
words are combined together to form sentences. Adjectives in
compounds (our present research ) are inseparable from their
constituent. So common patterns to make a compound adjectives
are as follow:
 adj. or number + noun + “ -ed”  red- haired
 adj. or adv. + past part.  low- paid
 adj. adv. Or noun + present part.  good- looking
 v. + adj. --- feel- good.
Meys (1975) classified compound adjectives in the frame of
transformational generative grammar, e.g.
a drowsy- looking policeman.



 Det  L1 ( S1 ) L2
comp. Aj
NP 
112


S 2  N1 
comP. Aj 
 NP
95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
L1- L2  are symbols refer to lexical items functioning as
constituents in the compounds and their underlying structures.
While S1 – S2 refer to structural elements- affixes like:[- ing ,-ed ly etc].
a drowsy- looking policeman.
Compound adjective of the form “-looking” here can be used as a
criterion for the presence of predicative use of the word.
Similarly, The grammatically of a sentence in the predicative
form “The soldier is friendly (-looking) conversely affirms the
claim that compound adjectives are “condescend sentences” as
Meys (1975) called.
We have to note that forming the compound adjectives from
nouns like:
Subj. + have/ has + noun phrase  subj. + be + (a) adj. noun + ed + n.
The stool has three legs  it is a three- legged stool.
Layla has long hair  She is a long-hair beauty.
“have” here is used to indicate a part of the whole, not
possession of something separate. So we can’t say:
Layla has two cars * she is a two- carred house wife. or
Mary has two sons * Mary is a two- sonned mother.
However compound adjectives in the previous pattern is used
to give physical or “metaphorical description”.
1.4 Kinds of compound adjectives.
Compound adjective can be classified as hyphenated and
non hyphenated adjectives.
1.4.1 Hyphenated compound adjectives
Hyphens are usually used to link the words together to show that it
is one adjective e.g.
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M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
That is an all-too- common mistake.
an up-to-date dictionary.
And as stated before that compound adjectives which are a
combination of words that serve as a single adjective, So we should
hyphenate compound adjective that appears before a noun in order
to be “compound”. They need to modify each other in a “chain” for
example “a dark- green box” vs. “a dark green box” i.e dark here
describes the shade of green and is not describing the box.
The following rules should be followed when dealing with
hyphenate compound adjectives.
1- They have been formed originally by an adjective preceding a
noun:
round table  “round- table discussion”.
blue sky  “blue- sky law”.
four wheels  “four- wheel drive” (historically the singular
or root not plural is used).
2- It is also hyphenated when a verb preceding an adjective or
adverb:
“feel good”  “feel- good factor”.
“Buy now pay later"  buy- now pay- later purchase.
3- Short adverbs like “well”, “fast” are often hyphenated in
combination when they preceding the noun.
a well-known writer
fast- link connection
4- When an original verb preceding a preposition like
“stick on”  stick- on label
“stand by”  stand- by fare
“walk on”  walk-on part
5- When “-d” or “-ed ” has been added as a part-participle
construction before noun, it is usually hyphenated:
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M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
“middle-aged lady”
“rose-tinted glasses”
6- Numbers spelled out or as numeric.
“seven- year itch”.
“20th- century poem”.
“a20-year-old man”.
7- Colures are compounds like:
“a dark-blue sweater”. dark limits blue not sweater.
“a reddish-orange dress”.
1.4.2Non hyphenated Compound Adjectives
Hyphens are usually unneeded when come after noun if the
compound adjectives used after thing or person being described
,e.g.
The baby is well fed.
The dictionary is up to date.
But they can appear before noun in these cases:
1- There is no need to group the words together that should be written
using capitalization or italicization makes grouping clear.
“Old English scholar”: an old person who is English and scholar,
or an old scholar who studies English. Also, “a Sunday morning
walk”.
2- Hyphen is usually dropped after adverbs end in (-ly) even if they are
seemingly part of compound adjective.
They entered the brightly lit room.
3- A hyphen usually dropped in a compound using a comparative (er) or superlative (-est).
better sounding speakers.
oldest surviving member.
4- Also we don’t use a hyphen in a compound that uses letters as
the second part of the adjectives.
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
section 9 discharge.
type A personality.
5- Compound adjectives from proper nouns don’t need to
hyphenate. Romeo and Juliet tickets.
The words “Romeo” and “Juliet” are adjectives describing
the tickets. As the capital letters of proper nouns group the words
and there is no need to use a hyphen.
Nigel (1997) shows the various possible combinations of
compound adjectives in English with examples in the following
table:
End position
Initial
position
Adj.
Adv.
n.
n.+ ed
Pres.
part.
Past
part.
Adj.
bittersweet
northeast
hard-up
deep-see
old-aged
nicelooking
clear-cut
Adv.
up-tight
halfyearly
crosscountry
n.
ice-cold
tax-free
cat-like
king-size
wellmannered
bowlegged
Number
---------
-----------
five-stars
two-faced
Pres.
part.
Past.
Part.
boilinghot
-----------
workingclass
-----------
---------
----------
---------
brokendown
cut-price
brokenhearted
---------
----------
116
everlasting
oceangoing
twotiming
wellknown
handwoven
----------
95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
Section 2
Compound Adjectives in Arabic
Arab adjectives are similar to nouns in almost every aspect.
They are called “ ‫“ ”توابع‬followers” of the noun head in their
syntactic function. The Arab grammarians considered the class of
adjectives as a subclass of the class noun i-e. They called “ ‫اسم غير‬
‫ ”الصفة‬as a noun which is not adjective, and “‫ ”اسم الصفة‬as a noun
which is adjective.
In Arabic language compound adjective comprises more
than one morpheme to be one adjective and agree with it in number,
gender, case and definiteness. See the following example.
ُ
.‫حفظت قصيدةً رائعا ً أسلوبها‬
-1
I memorized a great - style poem.
Here “‫ ”رائعا‬limits the style “‫ ”أسلوب‬of the poem. So the
compound adjective “‫ ”رائعا أسلوبها‬is agree with “‫“ ”قصيدة‬poem” in
case and indefiniteness, whereas the following sentence:
.‫ العراق بلد وفير خيره‬-2
Iraq is very rich country.
We see “‫“ ”وفير‬enrich” agree with “‫“ ”بلد‬country” in case and
gender. However compound adjectives in Arabic function as post
modifier to the head noun.
However, to make compound adjective in Arabic common
patterns should be followed:
sub. + predicate -----------.‫جاء رجل أبوه كريم‬
adv. Prep. + n. ------------- ‫رأيت ولدا ً على حصانه‬
adv. Place + n. -------------- ‫في الدار رجل أمام الكرسي‬
ً ‫هذا الطالب يحمل كتابا‬
v. + n. --------------‫ الذي‬+ n. -------------‫أطيعوا أباكم الذي رباكم‬
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
‫أحمد أطول من أخيه‬
‫جاء الولد الكريم أبوه‬
Adj. + prep.-----------Def. n.+ n. -------------
2.2 Compound Adjectives Rules in Arabic.
Adjectives in Arabic classified into two kinds; actual and
causal adjectives. The Arabic compound adjectives can be as well
actual and casual adjectives.
2.2.1 Actual compound Adjectives.
Actual compound adjectives are directly modifying the noun
head. Their rules are expressed as follow:
1- They can be nominal sentence. In this case the noun head should
be indefinite noun like:
.‫ جاء رجل أبوه كريم‬-3
comp. adj. Ind. n.
The nominal sentence “‫ ”أبوه كريم‬modifies the indefinite noun
“‫”رجل‬.
2- They can be verbal sentence like:
.ً‫ حضر علي يحمل كتابا‬-4
The verbal sentence “‫ ”يحمل كتابا‬is the compound adjective that
modifies “‫ ”علي‬and realizes the role of predicate.
3- Adverb phrase of place can be compound adjectives like:
‫اّللِ ه‬
‫ ُهم د ََر َجات ِعندَ ه‬ :‫ قوله تعالى‬-5
.)361/‫ (آل عمران‬ َ‫واّللُ بَ ِصير ِب َما يَع َملُون‬
.‫ رأيت رجلً على حصانه‬-6
adv. prep. n .
Compound adjectives here “‫ ”عند هللا‬and “‫ ”على حصانه‬realizes the
role of adverb of place and preposition respectively.
We have to note that the compound adjective may be more than
one in the noun phrase like:
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
ُ ‫س َماء فِي ِه‬
َّ ‫ب ِ همنَ ال‬
‫ظلُ َمات َو َرعد َوبَرق يَجعَلُونَ أَصابِعَهُم فِي آذَانِ ِهم‬
َ ‫أَو َك‬ :‫قوله تعالى‬
ٍ ‫ص ِيه‬
‫ت ه‬
)31\ ‫ (البقرة‬ َ‫واّللُ ُم ِحيط ِبالكافِ ِرين‬
ِ ‫ق َحذَ َر ال َمو‬
ِ ‫ِ همنَ الص ََّوا ِع‬
The nominal sentence “‫ ”فيه ظلمات‬and adv. of preposition
“‫ ”من السماء‬are various comp. adj. to the head noun “‫”صيب‬.
4- Using “‫ ”ذو‬means “‫ ”صاحب‬and “‫ ”ذات‬means “‫ ”صاحبة‬as a compound
adjective such as:
ُ ‫ف َوالرَّ ي َح‬
ُ َ‫فِي َها فَا ِك َهة َوالنَّخ ُل ذ‬ :‫ قوله تعالى‬-7
‫ان‬
ِ ‫ات اْلَك َم ِام* َوالحَبُّ ذُو العَص‬
)31-33/‫(الرحمن‬
The compound adjectives “‫ ”ذات األكمام‬and “‫ ”ذو العصف‬modify
“‫ ”النخل‬and “‫ ”الحب‬respectively.
5- The relative pronoun “‫ ”الذي‬can be compound adjective such as:
 َ‫اس اعبُدُوا َربَّ ُك ُم الَّذِي َخلَقَ ُكم َوالَّ ِذينَ ِمن قَب ِل ُكم لَعَلَّ ُكم تَتَّقُون‬
ُ َّ‫يَا أَيُّ َها الن‬ :‫ قوله تعالى‬-8
)31/‫(البقرة‬
6- The comparative degree usually termed the elative form ‫(صيغة‬
)‫ التفضيل‬has the form “‫ أجمل ”افعل‬.
It has the dual and plural number both in masculine and
feminine. It modifies the noun head like:
.‫أكبر من أخيه‬
ُ ‫ هذا الولد‬-9
2.2.2 Causal Compound Adjectives
Causal compound adjectives are indirectly modifying the
preceding noun head, and directly the following noun, e.g.
ُ
.‫الحسن خطه‬
‫ جاء الرج ُل‬-11
Comp.
n.
The word “‫ ”الحسن‬exposes the meaning of the “‫ ”الخط‬not the man
“‫ ”الرجل‬but “‫ ”الحسن خطه‬relates to “‫”الرجل‬the man, i.e. The “‫”الحسن‬
limits the meaning of “‫ ”خطه‬and indirectly modifies the noun head.
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
This construction agree with the head noun in definiteness,
number, gender and case, see the following examples.
singular  ‫ جاء الرج ُل الكري ُم أبوه‬-11
dual  ‫ب‬
ِ ‫جاء الرجلن الكريما اْل‬
plural masculine  ‫جاء الرجا ُل الكرا ُم اْلب‬
ُ
plural feminine  ‫ب‬
‫جاءت النسا ُء‬
ِ ‫الكريمات اْل‬
Elative form “‫ ”صيغة التفضيل‬that have the form ‫ أفعل‬in the absolute
‫ أخضر – أحمر‬can be used as periphrastic construction by means of
such words like ‫ أحسن – أشد‬with a noun derived from adjective like
‫ أحسن وجه‬, - ‫أشدُ حمرة‬. Also The genitive construction is used in
causal compound adjective where more than two or three entities
are concerned. e.g. “‫ ”أحلى االثنين‬i.e. when a noun “in contract” to
another noun in the genitive.
2.3 Abstract Benefits of Compound Adjectives
Adjectives in general in Arabic system have many moral
benefits. Compound adjectives at the same time also can be for
further extent as moral and abstract benefits such as:
1- Praising ( ‫) المديح‬
" ‫" فسبح باسم ربكَ العظيم‬
)16 \‫(الواقعة‬
This is to show Gods greatness.
2- Emphasis bad things or something." ‫أعوذ باهلل من الشيطان اللعين‬
‫" الرجيم‬
( ‫ )اللعين الرجيم‬a compound adjective emphasizes the modifier
(‫ )الشيطان‬quality.
3- Object of specification "‫"التمييز‬
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95 ‫ العدد‬/ ‫مجلة كلية االداب‬
M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
)4\‫" أني رأيت أحد عشر كوكبا ً والشمس والقمر رأيتهم لي ساجدين " )يوسف‬
The number )‫ )أحدَ عشر‬modifies (‫ )كوكبا‬which is the object of
specification i.e. (‫ )أحد عشر‬preceded and not followed the noun
head (‫ ) كوكبا‬as usual in compound adjectives. Or if we say ‫يضرب‬
)َ ‫ )خص َمهُ الضربةَ الواحدة‬we see (‫ )الواحدة‬emphasizes (‫ )الضربة‬and( َ‫الضربة‬
‫ )الواحدة‬modifies (‫ )خصمه‬as a compound adjective.
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M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
Section 3
Differences and Similarities in English and Arabic
3.0 In this section, there are a few distinction can be drawn between
compound adj. in English and Arabic. The following are the major
findings of this research.
3.1 Differences
1- English compound adjectives normally pre modify the head
noun,”, Arabic on the other hand post modify the head like:
“a blue – sky restaurant
comp. adj. + n.  English
‫مطعم السماء الزرقاء‬
n + comp.  Arabic
2- Hyphen in English is almost very necessary to remove
ambiguity, whereas, the Arabic system is not restricted with any
hyphen but agree with the head in number, gender, case and
defiantness. So a noun phrase in Arabic may be ambiguous without
indicating the case explicitly e.g.
U p-to-date dictionary  hyphenated
.‫ قرأت كتابا ً رائعا ً أسلوبه‬ inflected
3- Capitalization and Italicization has not followed the hyphenated
compound adjective rule whether it is proper or common noun.
Arabic on the other hand is not restricted with capitalization or
italicization and proper noun in Arabic can’t be compound adjective
or even single adjective but the noun head. e.g.
Romeo and Juliet tickets  comp. adj.
‫ أحمد أطو ُل من أخيه‬ The head n.
4- Compound adjectives in English are divided according to their
hyphenated, whereas in Arabic system they are divided according
to their direct or indirect limitation of the head noun.
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M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
comp. adj. in English
Hyphen
comp. in Arabic
actual
non-hyphen
causal
3.2 Similarities
1- In both languages English and Arabic compound adjectives
modify the head noun. And they comprise more than one
morpheme to be one comp. adj.
the dark- blue eye
ُ‫هذا الولدُ جميل خلقه‬
2- Syntactically and semantically, both English and Arabic
compound adjectives are directly or indirectly related to the head
noun i.e. (inherent and non inherent). e.g.
stick-on label  direct
green–land country  Indirect
direct  ‫أنهُ جالس عند الباب‬
Indirect  ‫هذا رجل طوي ُل القامة‬
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M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad
References in English
1- A arts , F. A arts , J (1988) English Syntactic Structures: New York,
Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, Prentice hall.
2-Adams,V.(1973):An Introduction to modern Word- formation:
Longman.
3- Bloomfield, L.(1933) Language. Allen and Unwind. London.
4-Bolinger,D.(1967). Adjectives in English: Attribution and
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5- Burton-Roberts,(1994) Analyzing Sentences. An Introduction to
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6- Chalkier, S. Weiner, E.ed.( 1994) The Oxford Dictionary of English
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10-Huddleston,RodneyD.(1984) Introduction to the grammar of English:
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12-Nigel J. Ross.(1997) . "Double- Barrel led" Adjectives: Modern
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13-Quirk, R; Greenbaum, S., Leech, Geoffrey; & Svartvik, Jan. (1972)
A Grammar of Contemporary English , Harlow: Longman.
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124
‫مجلة كلية االداب ‪ /‬العدد ‪95‬‬
‫‪M.ed Hind Hamid Muhammad‬‬
‫‪16-Thomas Y. Crowell Co. Inc. (1975) Modern English Linguistics: A‬‬
‫‪Structural and Transformational Grammar.‬‬
‫‪17-W. M. Baskerville & J. W. Sewell 1896 An English Grammar.‬‬
‫‪Syntax adjectives.‬‬
‫‪18- Yoweli Y. Aziz (1989).A Contrastive Grammar of English And‬‬
‫‪Arabic: Mosul.‬‬
‫المصادر العربية‬
‫‪ -3‬القران الكريم ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -1‬أوضح المسالك إلى ألفية ابن مالك‪ ،‬اإلمام أبي محمد ابن هشام األنصاري المصري‪.‬‬
‫حققه دكتور هادي حسن حمودي‪ ،‬دار الكتاب العربي ‪,‬بيروت ط‪3111 4‬م‪.‬‬
‫‪ -1‬جامع الدروس العربية‪ ،‬الشيخ مصطفى الغاليني‪ .‬دارالغد الجديد‪ .‬القاهرة\ المنصورة‪.‬‬
‫ط‪1007 3‬م ‪.‬‬
‫‪ -4‬شرح ألفية ابن مالك‪ .‬ابن عقيل ‪ -‬القاهرة ‪3165‬م‪.‬‬
‫‪ -5‬شرح شذور الذهب في معرفة كالم العرب‪ .‬األمام أبي محمد األنصاري المصري ت‪.‬‬
‫محمد محي الدين عبد الحميد ‪ .‬مطبعة السعادة ‪ .‬مصر ط‪3151- 6‬م‪.‬‬
‫‪ -6‬كتاب سيبويه‪ ،‬تحقيق وشرح عبد السالم محمد هارون‪ ،‬عالم الكتب ‪ ،‬بيروت‪ -‬لبنان‬
‫ط‪3401 1‬هـ‪3181-‬م‪.‬‬
‫‪ -7‬المقرب‪ ،‬ابن عصفور‪ .‬تحقيق أحمد عبد الستار الجواري ‪ ،‬عبد هللا الجبوري – بغداد‬
‫‪ .‬مطبعة العاني‪3186 .‬م‪.‬‬
‫‪ -8‬النحو الوافي ‪ ،‬عباس حسن‪ .‬دار المعارف بمصر‪ .‬ج\‪ 1‬الطبعة الثانية ‪. 3164‬‬
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