A Study of Compound Formation and Semantic Opacity in Punjabi

This research aims to investigate how Punjabi compounds are formed and in what way the formation of some of these compounds contributes to semantic opacity. This is qualitative research, where data have been analyzed descriptively. The study identifies and categorizes various types of compounds, including endocentric, exocentric, copulative, and verbal compounds. The study reveals that exocentric compounds are formed without the interfixes and follow patterns such as A+N, N+A, N+V, and A+V patterns. Endocentric compounds are found in N+N, A+N, and N+A combinations. These are found with and without interfixes, though compounding with interfixes is noticed as a rare morphological process in Punjabi. Copulative compounds are observed in N+N, A+A, and V+V patterns. These are also formed without the interfixes. Verbal compounds are seen in N+dv and A+dv. Notably, semantic opacity is found in exocentric and copulative compounds. The research underscores a need for detailed work on semantic opacity in Punjabi compounds.