# Three-word compound **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2021, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877 "2021-06-23T06:56:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/1 "2021-06-23T06:56:13Z")
Are there any three-word compounds in English? I’ve thought of _nonetheless_ and _nevertheless_ but can’t think of any others. English makes compounds, but it seems to be generally limited to just two words. Not like German, which has no problem running together 3, 4, or more words. Note: the compounds have to be run together without internal hyphens or spaces. So, for example, _whip-poor-will_ is right out. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/2 "2021-06-23T07:18:53Z")
Heretofore? Inasmuch? Insomuch? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/3 "2021-06-23T07:28:02Z")
Yes, I figured there’d be some more phrases run together. _Insofar_ is another that I ran across just now. How about any that are three nouns run together? Or noun(s) and adjective(s)? Any of those? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/4 "2021-06-23T07:30:08Z")
Manbearpig? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/5 "2021-06-23T07:31:51Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Manbearpig That’s a word? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/6 "2021-06-23T07:47:29Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > That’s a word? If you’re not sure, ask an outdoorsman. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/7 "2021-06-23T12:15:16Z")
Highwayman? I’m sure there are other words ending in -man or -person that would be similar. EDIT: Ah, I see I was anticipated with “outdoorsman”. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/8 "2021-06-23T12:49:23Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > the compounds have to be run together without internal hyphens or spaces Your question/your rules, but FTR, compounds typically evolve from open (“web server”) to hyphenated (“web-server”) to closed (“webserver”), so that restriction is a bit artificial. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/9 "2021-06-23T13:05:30Z")
Notwithstanding? (Depends on if you count “withstand” as a compound or not.) Newspapermen. Whodunnit. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/10 "2021-06-23T13:43:03Z")
How about parts of words, as in “turducken”? ---
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/11 "2021-06-23T13:57:47Z")
upperclassman ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/12 "2021-06-23T14:01:17Z")
English generally only writes long established compound nouns with neither hyphen or space. So three-word compounds written as one word are relatively rare, since they require either a long established three word phrase, or a long established compound where one of the words is a previously established two-words-written-as-one compound. But as already shown with examples, they do exist. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/13 "2021-06-23T14:02:00Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > That’s a word? Yes, it’s a fictitious creature that’s half man, half bear, and half pig. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/14 "2021-06-23T14:08:16Z")
“wilderness” from “wild-deer-ness”. But this compound was formed in Middle English rather than Modern English. “wild” had the same sense as now. “deer” was a general word for animal (which is a French import). “ness” meant a location (and not the suffix “-ness”). ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/15 "2021-06-23T15:22:34Z")
Whataburger ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/16 "2021-06-23T20:37:31Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > Your question/your rules, but FTR, compounds typically evolve from open (“web server”) to hyphenated (“web-server”) to closed (“webserver”), so that restriction is a bit artificial. Yes, I’m aware of this, although there are numerous examples of two-word compounds going immediately to closed form. But except for phrases, nonce words (which I’m not counting), and trademarks (also ignored), I don’t think there’s any three-word compounds that have gone from completely open to completely closed in one step. Hence my question. So far, the few examples given all seem to have taken two or more steps. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/17 "2021-06-23T20:46:54Z")
Because the internet has everything - > **[Triple word compound words may be confusing, nonetheless, they should be used...](https://nickclaussen.com/2017/09/04/triple-word-compound-words/)** > > What’s better than an ordinary compound word? Well, I can easily think of hundreds of items, but for this column the answer is compound words that are made up of three words. Heretofore you may not… Some not mentioned in the thread so far - counterclockwise, whatsoever, nowadays plus a few more or less archaic versions. There’s also a thread on Quora. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/18 "2021-06-23T20:57:09Z")
Whodunit ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/19 "2021-06-23T20:59:56Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > So, for example, _whip-poor-will_ is right out. For what it’s worth, I’m familiar with the bird and have seen it’s name written many times. This is the first time I’ve seen it hyphenated. The hyphenated form appears to be an accepted variant, but not necessarily the one true form. [https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/whippoorwill](https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/whippoorwill) > **[Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/whippoorwill)** > > The world's leading online dictionary: English definitions, synonyms, word origins, example sentences, word games, and more. A trusted authority for 25+ years! > **[Definition of WHIP-POOR-WILL](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whip-poor-will)** > > a nocturnal nightjar (Caprimulgus vociferus) of chiefly eastern North America with a loud repeated call suggestive of its name… See the full definition > **[Whippoorwill | Description, Range, & Facts](https://www.britannica.com/animal/whippoorwill)** > > Whippoorwill, nocturnal bird of North America belonging to the family Caprimulgidae and closely resembling the related common nightjar of Europe. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877/20 "2021-06-23T21:11:50Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > So far, the few examples given all seem to have taken two or more steps. Not tryna pick a fight, but what does that have to do with your original question? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-word-compound/944877.md?page=2)