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but not all compounds need, as a structural attribute, have noncompositional meanings (while all idioms do). To illustrate, ora-tu desert-domestic bovine (=camel), dzü-bvü ‘water-box’, container (=lake)’, dzü khe ‘water-plate (=well), larü-ke paper-layer (=page), phi-hi) leg-eye (=ankle), ve-di frog-be green (=tree frog), khe-dzü curry-water (=curry), hõ-i snake-be black (=a snake type), larü-cü paper (letters)- house (= school), cü-kra-ni stone-be white-clay (=chalk), sübu-o tree-diminutive suffix or young one (oo) (=plant), rü-to river- diminutive suffix (= brook), larü mazhie paper-cause to fly (= kite), tu jü domestic bovine-be big (=a type of bovine animal) all have meanings which are different from the sum of the meanings of their constituents. A test diagnostic of noncompositional meanings a compound might have acquired is the negated equational sentence test or the antonymous predicate test, or the antonymous phrase test all of which juxtapose two semantically opposite linguistic pieces. The first one is illustrated in examples 378.1 through 11, the second in examples 12-17, and the third in 18.
 

378

1a.  ora1 -tu2 otu3 mo-e4
    desert1 -domestic bovine2 (=camel) (is) not4 (a) domestic bovine 3
     

 

 *b.  a1 tu2 otu3 mo4 -e
    my1 domestic bovine2 (is) not4 (a) domestic bovine3

ora-tu desert-domestic bovine ending up in the meaning of ‘camel’ as in 378.1a has acquired a noncompositional meaning, and since noncompositionality is sufficient, it is a compound while a tu ‘my domestic bovine’ of 378.1b, has not, making 1b a contradiction in terms, and hence a noncompound, in particular a phrase.
 

2a.

  dzü-bvü1 obvü2 mo3 -e
water-box (=lake)1 (is) not3 (a) box2

*b  sübvü1 obvü2 mo-e3
a box1 (is) not3 (a) box2

3a.

  dzü-khe1 okhe2 mo-e3
water-plate/container (=well)1 (is) not3 (a) plate2

*b.  kheto khe1 okhe2 mo-e3
rice plate1 (is) not3 a plate2

4a.

  larü-ke1 oke2 mo-e3
paper-layer (=page)1 (is) not3 (a) layer2

*b.  vüho1 ke2 oke3 mo-e4
banana1 layer2 (is) not4 (a) layer3

5a.

  phi-hi)1 ohi)2 mo-e3
leg-eye (=ankle)s1 (are) not3 eyes2

*b.  a1 hi)2 ohi)3 mo-e4
my1 eyes2 (are) not4 eyes3 (the speaker being a normal person)

6a.

  cü-hi)1 ohi)2 mo-e3
nature-eye (=sun)1 (is) not3 (an) eye2

*b.  camaikho1 hi)2 ohi)3 mo-e4
Chamaikho’s1 eyes2 (are) not4 eyes3

7a.

  larü-cü1 ocü2 mo-e3
paper (letters)-house (=school)1 (is) not3 (a) house2

*b.  a1 cü2 ocü3 mo-e4
my1 house2 (is) not4 (a) house3

8a.

  mi-khe1 kakhe2 mo-e3
fire-dust (= smoke)1 (is) not3 dust2

*b.  kakhe1 hihi2 kakhe3 mo-e4
this2 dust1 (is) not4 dust3

9a.

  khe-dzü1 odzü2 mo-e3
curry-water (=curry)1 (is) not3 water2

*b.  korü-(li)1 dzü1 odzü2 mo-e3
river water1 (is) not3 water2

10a.

  mi-dzü1 odzü2 mo-e3
fire-water (=kerosene)1 (is) not3 water2

*b.  ata1 dzü2 odzü3 mo-e4
our (excl. pl. & excl. prn.)1 water2 (is) not4 water3

11a.

  larü-dzü1 odzü2 mo-e3
paper-water (= ink)1 (is) not3 water2

*b.  nita1 dzü2 odzü3 mo-e4
paper-water (= ink)1 (is) not3 water2

12a.

  ve1 -di2 hihi2 madi4 mo-e5
this frog1 -be green2 (= tree frog) is4 not5 green4

*b.  ove1 (a) madi2 hihi3 madi4 mo-e5
this3 green2 frog1 is4 not5 green4

13a.

  hõ-ti1 loi2 ti3 mo-e4
that2 snake-be black (= a snake type)1 is3 not4 black3

 
 

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