Is Baseball a Compound Noun

[Sallytrack]

The English teacher with whom I co-teach taught today that the word baseball is not a compound noun. Every English grammar book that I have checked states that it is a compound noun. I do not have a great working relationship with this young teacher, so I don't want to talk to him about it, but I need to know if I've been misinformed all these years. Any help is appreciated!

 

[5jj]

It is a compound noun.

 

[SoothingDave]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/baseball?s=t

Have you considered looking in a dictionary?

"Baseball" was very clearly formed from the words "ball" and "base."

 

[Sallytrack]

Ha Ha, Dave, I have not considered looking in a dictionary. That would have been way to easy.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

As an aside, although I know it would be wrong, I am tempted to call the ball one uses in baseball, a baseball ball and not -as the dictionary tells me- a baseball.

The bat is a baseball bat, and the cap is a baseball cap and so on. If the ball is a baseball that makes it sound as if the game should be called base.

 

[SoothingDave]

Would you call a football (whatever shape you think one should be) a "football ball?"

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

No, and if you'd been paying attention you would have noticed that I said that I knew it would be wrong.
However, where I grew up, football was played with the foot so there is logical sense in calling it, and the game, "football".

 

[SoothingDave]

I did see what you said and I agree it is unnecessary to add another "ball" when talking about the object. I don't see that it is wrong, just a bit redundant.

I am not sure I see what distinction you are trying to make. Football is played with a football. Baseball is played with a baseball. In football you use your feet. In baseball you use bases.

 

[Rover_KE]

In football you use your feet. In baseball you use bases.

What do you use in softball?




`

 

[tzfujimino]

What do you use in softball?

soft?:lol:

 

[SoothingDave]

What do you use in softball?




`

Beer. Lots of beer.

If you're serious, I believe this word was coined as a contrast to regular baseball, just using a ball that is not as hard.

 

[Tdol]

The English teacher with whom I co-teach taught today that the word baseball is not a compound noun.

I understand that your relationship isn't too good, but could you ask him how he is defining the term?