What is Compound?
The word compound, in its broadest sense, refers to something that is formed from the combination of two or more elements.
Compound can be used as an adjective or as a noun according to the context of the enunciation. An example of the first case would be: “Acosta-Saignes is a compound surname”. In the second case we can suggest this example: “Oil is an organic compound.”
The word compound comes from the Latin compositus. It is formed from the prefix com ( with -), which means ‘next to’; and the participle of the verb ponere , positus , which means ‘to put’ or ‘to dispose’.
Chemistry compound
In chemistry, the word compound is used to refer to a substance made up of two or more elements on the periodic table. This type of compound is divided into organic and inorganic compounds .
Organic compound
It results from carbons bonded together, and in turn bonded to hydrogen. In other words, it refers to hydrocarbons. For example, oil, natural gas.
There are also organic compounds that include elements such as sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen. For example, DNA molecules and sugars.
Inorganic compound
They are those that are not synthesized by living beings, that is, in which carbon does not participate. The other known elements participate in the formation of inorganic compounds.
Some examples of inorganic compounds are water, sodium chloride (or common salt), or ammonia.
Grammar compound
Words are said to be formed from the union of others. According to the form or degree of fusion, they are divided into:
Lexical compound
Also called its own compound, cohesive or orthographic, it refers to the union of simple words that form a single orthographic unit. For example: bittersweet, can openers, nail clippers, potato peelers.
Phrase compound
They are those word unions in which the elements remain graphically differentiated through the use of the script. For example: Franco-Mexican, theoretical-practical, Greco-Roman, socio-cultural, etc. It is also known by the names of juxtaposed, binomial or multi-verbal compound.
