Here's how it works:
* Formation: Compound words are created by merging two or more existing words.
* Meaning: The combined word often takes on a new meaning, different from the individual words that make it up.
* Hyphenation: Compound words can be hyphenated, written as one word, or written as separate words, depending on usage and the specific word.
Examples:
* Hyphenated: "well-being," "mother-in-law"
* One word: "rainbow," "sunbeam"
* Separate words: "high school," "fire engine"
Syllabification and Line Breaks:
While compound words are formed by combining words, how you break them at the end of a line for readability is a separate issue. It's generally good practice to split a word at a syllable boundary, but the rules for syllabification (dividing words into syllables) can be complex.
In summary: Compound words are formed by combining words, not just by separating syllables at the end of a line.