Abstract
The paper investigates the semantics of non-suffixed adjectival adjective-noun (AN) compounds in Slavic languages (especially in Slovak and Czech) within a lexeme-based approach in morphology (Aronoff 1976, 1994; Fradin 2003). Two types of AN compounds exist in Slavic languages: a suffixed one, where the suffix has scope over the whole complex base (such as vysok-o-škol-ský), and a "suffixless" one, where the lexical category is marked by means of an inflectional ending (such as modr-o-ok-ý corresponding to the well-known type of compounds like blue-eyed).
The article shows, on the basis of the data drawn from large corpora, that there is a basic semantic difference between the two types and it attempts at formulating the principal constraint involved in the formation of the suffixless compounds. The paper puts forward a Principle of Integrated Meronymy as the basic semantic criterion that regulates the possibility of formation of this type of adjectival compounds.