Wollstrumpfe or wollene Strumpfe: Survey Results

In European languages, word formation can occur in different ways, eg, by adjectival construction, prepositional phrase, or compound noun. It is theorized that adjectival constructions serve a focusing function, whereas compounds are category selections. Results of a survey of native German speakers (N = 150) confirm this hypothesis & show that the compound noun was used to a greater extent in German when compared to other eastern & southeastern European languages, where adjectival constructions are more often favored. 3 Tables, 10 References. Adapted from the source document