The formation of complex nouns occurs by combining several (usually two) independent parts into one semantic whole. Different parts of speech can act in their role, both independent and official. Their display on the letter has its own characteristics. We’ll talk about how to write such words today.
First, let's talk about what options exist. A compound noun in the Russian language can be written either through a hyphen, or together, or separately. The principle that lies in distinguishing between these options is the selection of words in a letter. Words are separated by spaces, and parts of them are written together. However, the application of this rule has its own characteristics. The fact is that in a language whole words and their combinations are not always quite clearly opposed. Therefore, in addition to separate and continuous writing, there is a semi-continuous, or hyphen. A hyphen is used to separate words into parts (for example, a firebird), or to combine phrases into a single unit (science fiction writer). After reading this article, you will learn how to write this or that complex noun correctly.
Fusion spelling
Words that are formed using connective consonants are spelled together. This also includes all formations with auto-, aero-, air-, film-, motorcycle-, photo-, auto-, electro-, meteo-, stereo-, agro-, hydro, micro-, bio-, zoo-, neo, macro. There are many examples, here are just some of them: flax harvesting, a farmer, water supply, airport, motorcycle racing, car rally, photo report, electric motor, cycle racing, macro world.
Compound nouns are written together if they are inflected and their first verb part ends in -i. Examples: a tree branch, an adonis, a spinneret, a snifford, a skopid, a turtle, a daredevil.
Hyphen Spelling
A hyphen should be used to write a complex noun if it has the meaning of one word and it consists of 2 nouns used independently, connected by vowels e or o. Examples: boy-woman, firebird, cafe-restaurant, diesel engine, major general, prime minister, Buryat-Mongolia. Note that in this case, when declensing a word, only the second noun changes.
The following examples apply to the same rule: purchase and sale, a hut-reading room, saw-fish, a good-looking boy, the Moscow River. However, in these cases, both nouns change with declension.
In addition, the hyphen should write the names of political trends and parties that are composite, as well as their supporters. Examples are: social democracy, social democracy, anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalist.
Complex units
Hyphenation is true if we are dealing with complex units. It doesn’t matter if this compound noun is formed using a connecting vowel or not. Examples: kilowatt hour, ton-kilometer, man-day. However, there is an exception to this rule - this is the word workday , which should be written together.
Other cases of hyphen
We continue to consider the spelling of complex nouns. A hyphen should be put in the case of the names of foreign and Russian intermediate parts of the world. Examples: north-east, northeast , etc.
Through a hyphen, combinations of words are written that have the meaning of nouns if these combinations include:
a) a verb used in personal form ( love-not-love flower, not-touch-me plant);
b) union ( ivan da maria plant);
c) the pretext ( Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Rostov-on-Don, Frankfurt ).
Foreign-language elements often have their own characteristic features. Their use in various rules is often negotiated separately. In our case, the hyphen spelling of complex nouns is true if their first component is the foreign-language elements unter, ober, vice, headquarters, ex . Examples include the following: life doctor, non-commissioned officer, chief master, ex-champion, vice president, headquarters.
Spelling of complex nouns, the first part of which is half-
If the first part of a compound word is half- (in the meaning of “half”), and then a noun in R. p. Begins, which begins with the consonant “ l” or with a vowel, then the hyphen spelling will be correct. Examples: half an apple, half a turn, half a lemon. In other cases, complex nouns are written together. Examples: half an hour, half a meter, half a room. However, if after a half-word follows a proper noun , it will be appropriate to use a hyphen if you have complex nouns. Examples: half of Europe, half of Moscow . Words that begin with half- are always written together . Examples: a semicircle, a half-station, half a mile from the city.
Application Highlight Features
If a definite word is immediately followed by a one-word appendix, a hyphen should be placed between them. Examples: Anika-warrior, Masha-frog, mother-old woman.
If a one-word appendix, which by value can be equated with an adjective, follows the defined word, a hyphen is not put. Example: handsome son.
If the application or the word being defined is itself hyphenated, it is not put between them. Example: Menshevik Social Democrats.
Russian compound surnames
Through a hyphen, you should write compound surnames that were formed by adding two personal names, that is, when complex nouns are formed when they are combined. Examples: Skvortsov-Stepanov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Andersen-Nexe, Mendelssohn-Bartholdi, etc.
United with nicknames personal surnames and names are written with them separately. Examples: Ants Hanger, Vanka Cain, Ilya Muromets .
Foreign compound names
It is necessary to put a dash between the parts of the word if we are dealing with foreign-language compound surnames for which the first part is Saint or Saint . Examples: Saint-Saens, Saint-Just, Saint-Simon and others. It is also necessary to write oriental personal names (Arabic, Turkic, etc.) with the final or initial component indicating social status, family relations, etc. Examples: Osman Pasha, Izbay Bey, Tursun-zade, Ibn Fadlan , etc.
However, it should be clarified that through a hyphen, compound names, the first part of which is don- , are written only in cases where the main part of the name is not separately used in Russian. Examples: Don Quixote, Don Juan . However, if the word don means "master," it should be written separately. Examples: don Basilio, don Pedro.
It should also be taken into account that particles and articles, which are parts of foreign last names, are written without a hyphen, that is, separately. Examples: le Chapelle, von Bismarck, de Valera, de Coster, Lope de Vega, Leonardo da Vinci, von der Goltz, Baudouin de Courtenay. Particles and articles, without which surnames of this type are not used, must be written with a hyphen. Example: Van Dyck.
It should be said that some other foreign last names have their own characteristics in the Russian broadcast. Particles and articles in them are written together, despite the fact that their spelling can be separate in the respective languages. Examples: Delisle, Decandol, Lagarpe, Lafontaine . The spelling of complex nouns, which are proper names of foreign origin, as you see, has many nuances. We examined the main ones, it remains to talk only about the latter.
It must be borne in mind that names of different categories are not joined by hyphens among themselves, like Russian surnames, names and patronymics. Example: Guy Julius Caesar .
We now turn to the features of displaying geographical names on a letter.
Geographical names consisting of two nouns
They are hyphenated if they consist of two nouns. Examples: Kamenetz-Podolsk, Orekhovo-Zuevo, Heart-Stone . The same applies to words consisting of a noun and an adjective following it. Examples: Goose-Crystal, Mogilev-Podolsky, Moscow-Commodity.
Other hyphenated geographical names
Through the hyphen should also write combinations consisting of a particle or article with a significant part of speech. The following examples can be cited: the Gulf of De Castries, the city of La Carolina, the city of Le Creusot.
The names of the settlements are written through a hyphen if they are included in the composition as the first part: top, salt, mouth , etc. The same applies to some names with the first part of the lower, upper, old, new - etc., with the exception of cases when a continuous spelling is fixed on geographical maps or in reference publications. Examples: Verkh-Irmen, Sol-Iletsk, Ust-Abakan, Novo-Vyazniki , but: Maloarkhangelsk, Novosibirsk, Novoalekseevka, Starobelsk .
If geographical names, which are compound, are formed from the names of parts of a particular geographical object using a connecting vowel or without it, then a dash is also set. Examples: Alsace-Lorraine, Austria-Hungary. The exception is Czechoslovakia .
Separate spelling of geographical names
However, geographical names in some cases should be written separately. This applies primarily to words consisting of an adjective followed by a noun; or if the noun follows the numeral. Examples: Nizhny Tagil, Bila Tserkva, Seven Brothers, Yasnaya Polyana .
Separately, nouns must also be written if they are combinations of first and middle names, first and last names. Examples: Erofei Pavlovich station, Lev Tolstoy village.
Names of cities with the second part - city or city
The names of cities are written together if the second component is city or city . Examples: Ivangorod, Uzhgorod, Belgorod, Kaliningrad, Leningrad .
Spelling options
It should be noted that in writing some complex words that have recently appeared in the language, fluctuations are observed. Examples: parking space and parking space, tonnage and tonnage, tonnage and tonnage per day . These spelling variations are explained by the presence of connecting vowels ( ton-o-mileage, car-o-place ). Thus, they are affected by the general rules for writing complex words. It is preferable to write them together.
So, we examined the conjugate and hyphen spelling of complex nouns. Of course, we examined only the main cases. This topic has many nuances, so you can improve in it for a long time. However, we presented the basic information, and in most cases it is enough to write competently complex nouns.