Compound Words in the Poetry of Shah Latif: A Research Study

Abstract

The Sindhi language possesses a remarkable richness and diversity in its processes of word formation, an important and prominent aspect of which is compounding. Compound words are, in essence, units formed through the direct combination of two or more free, independent forms, involving no bound morpheme (prefix or suffix); upon combination, these elements move beyond their individual meanings to give rise to a new, unified, and often figurative sense. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the celebrated and eloquent poet of the Sindhi language, employed this linguistic resource with remarkable skill and artistry throughout his poetry. His Risalo, which represents the standard literary Sindhi of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, constitutes an inexhaustible repository of compound words, containing examples of all five Sanskritic types Tatpurusha, Karmadharaya, Dvigu, Bahuvrihi, and the type involving an implicit relational particle. This study examines, on the basis of authenticated verses drawn from the Risalo, the structure of compound words, their classification, and their semantic depth, while also clarifying the important distinction that not every combination of words constitutes a true compound.