[PW] What type of word is "inasmuch"?

[Franco, Adrienne]

I reread Mr. Garcia's post.  Sorry -- it seems like you're looking for
something other than compound word.  I really think, though, that this
is the most descriptive term.  The other words cited -- conjunction,
idiom, prepositional phrase, are related terms.  The only term which
means exactly what is being described (joining together of multiple
words to form a single word) is compound word.  I doubt that there is a
better term.

Adrienne Franco / Iona College Libaries / New Rochelle, NY

-----Original Message-----
From: Franco, Adrienne 
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 10:55 AM
To: 'list at project-wombat.org'
Subject: RE: [PW] What type of word is "inasmuch"?


I think inasmuch is an example of a compound word.

Information below copied and pasted from:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compounds.htm 
" Compound Words  Definition
In English, words, particularly adjectives and nouns, are combined into
compound structures in a variety of ways. And once they are formed, they
sometimes metamorphose over time. A common pattern is that two words -
fire fly, say - will be joined by a hyphen for a time - fire-fly - and
then be joined into one word - firefly. In this respect, a language like
German, in which words are happily and immediately linked one to the
other, might seem to have an advantage. There is only one sure way to
know how to spell compounds in English: use an authoritative dictionary.

There are three forms of compound words: 
the closed form, in which the words are melded together, such as
firefly, secondhand, softball, childlike, crosstown, redhead, keyboard,
makeup, notebook; 

the hyphenated form, such as daughter-in-law, master-at-arms,
over-the-counter, six-pack, six-year-old, mass-produced; 

and the open form, such as post office, real estate, middle class, full
moon, half sister, attorney general.

" A compound word is made when two words are joined to form a new word."
Cf. http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/compound.htm (includes lots of
examples, also.

Adrienne Franco / Iona College Libraries


-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of
Joseph T. Garcia
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:52 PM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: [PW] What type of word is "inasmuch"?

Gang:
 
Is there a more descriptive term other than conjunction, idiom,
prepositional phrase, and compound word, that classifies a word made up
of several words, such as "inasmuch", and "insomuch".
 
Thanks much,
 
Joseph Trent Garcia
Librarian, San Francisco Public Library, Richmond Branch
jgarcia at sfpl.org
 
 
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