Yesterday a friend invited me to watch the sunset with her, and I thought about the word.
It is a construct of a noun and a verb, where each can stand alone, or are a word together, with the same meaning.
Examples that work are: - Sun set - Car wash
Although what doesn't work is: jay walk, bird bath, etc.
Does anyone know the name for this type of word? What other examples can you come up with?
Did you ever see a mountain peak? or a horse fly?
PS Welcome aboard.
It's a compound word. They're pretty common in English, German, Sanskrit, and other languages. Is the set in sunset a noun? The sunset ~ the setting sun. Perhaps. It's interesting that the resulting compound is a noun and not a verb. In kidnap, it seems to have gone the other way; it's a verb. Maybe not.
Kidnap as a noun? Could be.
This is a holdup; give us your money.
This is a kidnap; come with us.
Could be.
Sorry, yes. It can be used as a noun, but carwash and sunset cannot be used as verbs in my neck of the Anglosphere.
Usually you would say "this is a kidnapping!" Making the noun of the verb form and the verb of two nouns. Or rather I hope you wouldn't but I mean someone who ... obviously you aren't the type of person ... [trails off into an embarrassed mumble-e]
Actually, Zed, I had a hard time saying that the set in sunset is a verb ... trails off mixing it up as he kicks his heels ...
Actually, Zed, I had a hard time saying that the set in sunset is a verb ... trails off
But did you trail off into the setting sun?
PS am I the only person who remembers the mountain peak song from childhood? We thought it was very witty at 10 or so years old. The idea was to come up with compound word puns - Did you ever see a mountain peak (peek) did you ever see a horse (noun) fly (verb) etc.
like did you ever see a toilet bowl?
Or, as the irrepressible Rhuby once said:
Time flies like a banana.
I once saw a banana peel.
I once saw a banana peel.
By the time I got there it had split.
Or:
Fruit flies like a kiwi.
re:Or, as the irrepressible Rhuby once said:
Time flies like a banana.
i thought it was
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.
(a gentle reminder to fletcher to keep their arrows far away from timeflies, lest they be damaged.)
i thought it was
But then you're not the irrepressible Rhuby.
