deriv LSK ETT STT aSTA ALPH OLDHOMEPAGE NEWHOMEPAGE

/nityasamAsa / नित्यसमास

A /nityasamAsa, or compulsory compound, is a compound that cannot be split into its components, either because it changes meaning, or because some components cannot stand alone.

Example of meaning change: kRSNazakuniH कृष्णशकुनिः is a compulsory compound when it means a crow. If we split it into its components we get kRSNaz zakuniH कृष्णः शकुनिः, which means just any black bird, as for instance a condor, a black swan, or a blackbird (Turdus merula, qq(see wikipedia on Common_blackbird)).

Example of nonstandalone components: grammarians say that **grAmaNI- ग्रामणीॱ "maior" is a compound of **grAma- ग्रामॱ "village" plus nI- नीॱ "leader". Yet that supposed nI- नीॱ word is never used alone.

Counterexample: **sarvabhUteSu सर्वभूतेषु is not a compulsory compound, because it means exactly the same thing as sarveSu bhUteSu सर्वेषु भूतेषु.