Two-Word Construction Terms with the Secondary Component Expressed by a Compound Adjective

Abstract

    The scope of using compound adjectives in the terminology of different fields is uneven. As illustrated by quantitative data, they are rather widely used in coining specific two-word terms in the field of construction. The article discusses the relations between the twentieth–twenty-first-century compound adjectives as terminological attributes and the main component of two-word construction terms in respect of the idea conveyed by them: the lexical-relational meanings of compound adjectives are identified. Their word-formation structure, through which the meanings are conveyed, is reviewed as well. The study revealed that twelve lexical-relational meanings are inherent in the compound adjectives used as secondary components of construction terms, and they are formed under ten word-formation patterns. Construction terminology is dominated by compound adjectives designating the distinctive feature of the denotatum expressed by the main component in terms of composition, a property of form, a part of the distinctive fastener, and the distinctive part.