combine with nouns, as in _sun-beam_;
nouns with verbs, as in _dare-devil_, &c. It is thought however, sufficient
in the present work to be content with, 1. defining the meaning of the term
composition; 2. explaining the nature of some obscure compounds.

Composition is the joining together, _in language_, of _two different
words_, and _treating the combination as a single term_. Observe the words
in italics.

_In language._--A great number of our compounds, like the word
_merry-making_, are divided by the sign -, or the hyphen. It is very plain
that if all words _spelt_ with a hyphen were to be considered as compounds,
the formation of them would be not a matter of speech, or language, but one
of writing or spelling. This distinguishes compounds in language from mere
printers' compounds.

_Two._--For this, see s. 369.

_Different._--In Old High German we find the form _selp-selpo_. Here there
is the junction of two words, but not the junction of two _different_ ones.
This distinguishes composition from gemination.

_Words._--In _father-s_, _clear-er_, _four-th_, &c., there is the addition
of a letter or a syllable, and it may be even of the part of a word. There
is no addition, however, of a whole word. This distinguishes composition
from derivation.

_Treating the combination as a single term._--In determining between
derived words and compound words, there is an occasional perplexity; the
perplexity, however, is far greater in determining between a _compound
word_ and _two words_. In the eyes of one grammarian the term _mountain
height_ may be as truly a compound word as _sun-beam_. In the eyes of
another grammarian it may be no compound word, but two words, just as
_Alpine height_ is two words; _mountain_ being dealt with as an adjective.
It is in the determination of this that the accent plays an important part.

s. 358. As a preliminary to a somewhat subtle distinction, the attention of
the reader is drawn to the following line, slightly altered, from
Churchill:--

"Then r['e]st, my fri['e]nd, _and sp['a]re_ thy pr['e]cious br['e]ath."

On each of the syllables _r['e]st_, _fri['e]nd_, _sp['a]re_, _pr['e]c-_,
_br['e]ath_, there is an accent. Each of these syllables must be compared
with the one that precedes it; _rest_ with _then_, _friend_ with _my_, and
so on throughout the line. Compared with the word _and_, the word _spare_
is not only accented, but the accent is conspicuous and prominent. There is