A compound is a word, usually consisting of two or more nouns. The most common group in German is the determinative compound (e.g German Erd-ball, Erd-apfel, Erd-umrundung). In addition to the pure noun compounds, there are also adjective compounds (e.g. German “schwarz-weiß”), and noun-adjective compounds (e.g. German “Schöngeist”). The provisions for the composite formation of technical terms shall be laid down in term formation guidelines .