introducion & greek word formation

[Wafelsonix]

First of all, I’d like to say hello to all of You. That’s my first post on this forum.
I’m an archaeologist by education (my specialization is zooarchaeology), classical greek is my hobby and I learn it on my own. I use Schliemann’s method, so I’m interested mostly in search for analogies between greek, protoindoeuropean and modern languages vocabulary (I also collect various dictionaries).
Recently I was thinking about greek word formation. I wanted to create a word “to look like trumpet”, “trumpet shaped” or “horn shaped” using greek σάλπιγξ and εἴδωλον. Because I know the word δρακοντοειδῶς “snake shaped” (Strabo), per analogiam I created word σαλπιγγειδῶσ. Is it correct? What are the rules of putting accents in word formation?
Greetings,

Jan

[mwh]

Welcome Jan! There are some very helpful people on these boards. As to your formation, the -ειδῶς ending is adverbial (the -ως is the clue): for the adjective you need -ειδής (which declines, of course). For the first part σαλπιγγο- would retain the omicron of the genitive, so we'd end up with *σαλπιγγοειδής "trumpet-like", "salpinx-shaped. This would be a perfectly normal kind of formation; there are probably hundreds of -ειδής compounds. The accent of the adverb follows that of the adjective (not predictable until you've mastered some quite complex rules, and even then ... -- best just learn the accents as you encounter them, after learning the basic rules). The corresponding noun is not actually εἴδωλον (an image), which does not lend itself to compound formation (as least not as the final element), but εἶδος, a shape or form.

Hope this helps.

[Wafelsonix]

Thank You very much, Your post was very educative and helpful. In fact I am a beginner. I had some greek and latin classes at my high school, later I got back to classical greek (learning it on my own) as a university student in the full confidence that educated person should know it. At my archaeology course I had an introduction to Indo-European culture with some basics of proto indo-european language (then I discovered analogies).
Anyway, there was no particular reason why I wanted to create that word, it just came to my mind while I was looking through dictionary. As to nouns εἴδωλον and εἶδος it was silly mistake, I should have known it.
Thank You again,

Jan

P.S. Forgive me some mistakes, English is not my first language.