# Compound words

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 24, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534 "2005-11-24T03:52:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/1 "2005-11-24T03:52:05Z")

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Is it wrong to use two separate words when there exists a compound word using those same two words?

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/2 "2005-11-24T04:07:45Z")

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I think examples will get you get you more responses.

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/3 "2005-11-24T04:11:09Z")

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Taking a wild stab, however:

Probably not. But there are other considerations:

“Back yard” is a noun phrase; “backyard” is an adjective.

Ditto “every day” and “everyday.”

Is this remotely what you’re looking for?

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/4 "2005-11-24T04:19:58Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> Is this remotely what you’re looking for?

Yes, indeed. The one I was thinking about was eachother and each other. Is eachother even a word? Maybe I screwed up not only the OP but also the premise of the OP. :smack:

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/5 "2005-11-24T04:23:40Z")

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> [@ccwaterback](#):
>
> Is eachother even a word?

No, it’s in no dictionary I can find and online only as a typo or domain name. What gave you the impression it was?

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**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/6 "2005-11-24T07:56:51Z")

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> [@ccwaterback](#):
>
> Yes, indeed. The one I was thinking about was eachother and each other. Is eachother even a word? Maybe I screwed up not only the OP but also the premise of the OP. :smack:

I have never seen “eachother” in print, anywhere.

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/7 "2005-11-24T09:12:20Z")

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_diplomatically refrains from dropping a one-liner involving the incorrect substitution of two constituent words for a deprecating compound word_

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/8 "2005-11-24T11:27:38Z")

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> [@Askance](#):
>
> No, it’s in no dictionary I can find and online only as a typo or domain name. What gave you the impression it was?

It must be brain damage.

I found a website that will help me out:

[http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/compoundwords.htm](http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/compoundwords.htm)

🙂

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**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words/332534/9 "2005-11-24T11:32:09Z")

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> [@lissener](#):
>
> I have never seen “eachother” in print, anywhere.

Just to totally confuse the matter:

> **[Definition of EACH OTHER](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/each%20other)**
>
> each of two or more in reciprocal action or relation… See the full definition