Dear Nina,

> I still find it difficult to see the difference between tapurisa and
> bahubihi, and especially when there is a combination of the two.
> sword-tp3-fight. tp : why tapurisa?

A tappurisa compound is a noun. Coulson speaks of this type of compound as
endocentric -- that is, it is an independent self-contained unit. Bahubihi
compounds are adjectival and hence are exocentric -- that is, they refer to
some head-word (stated or implicit) outside of the compound and hence are
not self-contained. To identify and distinguish between these is important
when the head-word for the adjectival bahubihi is not stated: you will get a
differnt meaning if you were to interpret it as a tappurisa.

> What is the practical use of knowing such differences? Does it prevent
> going
> wrong in translations?

If one does not know (or instinctively grasp) the differences between these
compounds, then I think one can almost certainly guarantee mistranslations.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge

PS: Rett et al: There is another very good and detailed description of the
various types of compounds given in "Devavaa.niiprave'sikaa -- An Intro to
the Sanskrit Language" by Robert Goodman and Sally Sutherland (Uni of
California 1992). This book is noteworthy because its authors use the
traditional Sanskrit grammatical terminology throughout -- the only drawback
for some is that they use Devanagari almost from the outset. Though it
wouldn't be available on the shelves of most large bookshops, it is easily
and cheaply available by order.