Compound Words

Level 3

Two roots make one word: pirapire “money” is “fish” plus “skin”.

How It Works

Many Guarani words are made of two roots, and the new word is written as one.

PartsCompound
pira “fish” + pire “skin”pirapire “money”
ava “person” + ñeʼẽ “speech”avañeʼẽ “Guarani”
py “foot” + ao “clothes”pyao “sock”
mitã “child” + rusu “grown”mitãrusu “teenager”
pyʼa “chest” + guapy “sit”pyʼaguapy “peace”

The first root is usually a noun. The second can be a noun, as in pyao, a describing word, as in mitãrusu, or a verb, as in pyʼaguapy. Sometimes a verb comes first: guatapu “sound of footsteps” is “walk” plus “noise”.

Many compounds have become fixed words, each with its own meaning. The dictionary lists them as separate words.

Examples (5)

  1. Roikotevẽ pirapire.

    We need money.

    Pirapire is pira “fish” plus pire “skin”: one word for “money”.

  2. Kaʼay hakúma.

    The mate is already hot.

    Kaʼa “mate leaf” plus y “water” is the drink made with it. Hakúma is “hot already”, with -ma.

  3. Mbaʼéichapa ojeʼe ko ñeʼẽ avañeʼẽme?

    How do you say this word in Guarani?

    Ava “person” plus ñeʼẽ “speech” is “the language of people”. Avañeʼẽme has -me because ñeʼẽ is nasal.

  4. Umi mitãkuña porã.

    Those pretty girls.

    Mitã “child” plus kuña “woman” is one word for “girl”.

  5. pyʼaguapy

    peace

    Pyʼa “chest, heart” plus guapy “sit”.

How It Connects

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Compound WordsLevel 3

Learn This First

A compound joins two roots that can each be a noun, a verb or a describing word, so that idea comes first.

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Words in This Pattern

pirapirepirapire