Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fancypants]

nouns can sometimes (actually often) act as adjectives: office worker, apple pie, photo opportunity, computer hack, etc.

[jacl]

deleted

[Hanson]

[tomato]

Hanson got me off on a wild Google search.

When it comes to adjectives used as nouns, the terminology does not seem to be very well standardized.

The word apple in apple pie is an adjectivized noun according to this Website:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=24344

However, an adjectivized noun is a usage such as goodness, according to this Website:

http://kedhaxora.tripod.com/adjectives.html

Also, be careful not to confuse an adjectivized noun with an adjectival noun, which is a usage such as the rich or the poor, according to this Website:

http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/adjectival-noun.html

I think Hanson is right about the term compound noun, though.
However, it looks like the term can refer to any two words which are welded together. The first word does not necessarily have to be a noun. Examples are high school or full moon.

If you want to specify that the first word has to be a noun, the term noun-noun compound might be a little better:

http://torvald.aksis.uib.no/corpora/1995-2/0005.html

Here is another Website which presents the term linked nominalization:

http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Handouts/nominalization.html

According to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compound_word#Compound_nouns

the first half of a compound is the modifier and the second half is the head.

In summary, a noun used as an adjective can be called either an
adjectivized noun, a noun-noun compound modifier, or a linked nominalization modifier.

Here is a Website which proposed making a chain of noun-noun compounds for recreational purposes:

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/words/activities/compoundnouns_grammar.html

In other words, take one noun-noun compound, find another noun-noun compound which begins with the second word of that compound, then find another compound which begins with the second word of compound, and so on.

Come to think of it, the names of Chicago suburbs abound with noun-noun compounds (Elm Park, Oak Park, Park Forest). I remember two Chicago citizens having a contest to see who could come up with the longest chain of Chicago suburb name chains.

Anyone want to start an ESL Cafe noun-noun compound game thread?

[poet13]

[quote="poet13"]thank you tomato. Its times like these when I seriously wonder if I am qualified to teach english. Speaking and writing well (I have been published here and there) do not a teacher make![/quote]

This thread has done a couple of things. One is make me realize how little I actually know, to realize how much I still have to learn. I had hoped at some point to move up from hagwons, but I realize now that I'm simply not qualified.

Grammar it seems, should be a subject studied entirely outside the language, perhaps in a science facility by forgetful old people white wild, white shocks of hair .... I bet it's actually possible to get a BsC in grammar somewhere.....

Thank you again everyone.

[tomato]

You can even have the same noun twice in a row.

In my hometown, there was a long-range substitute teacher who had to miss a few days. So there was some merriment about the shorter range teachers serving as "substitute substitutes."

On this Website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3023523.stm

BBC comments on the multiplicity of celebrations such as National Positive Parenting Week, National Smile Week, and National Allergy Week, and suggests celebrating a National Week Week.