Karnatakabhashabhushana 6.8

[6.8] The bahuvrīhi compound has the external referent as primary.

A compound in which the meaning of another inflected word is current receives the technical term 'bahuvrīhi compound'.

karbuvillaṁ ['one who has a sugarcane bow']

kuḍuvillaṁ ['one who has a bent bow']

kallerdeyaṁ ['one who has a stone heart']

kusigoralaṁ ['one who has a thin neck']

nuccakkivallaṁ ['one who likes broken rice']

kendaleyaṁ ['one who has a red head']

mellaḍiyaṁ ['one who has soft feet']

kuṟugeyyaṁ ['one who has short arms']

bisugadiraṁ ['he who has hot rays', i.e., the sun]

taṇgadiraṁ ['he who has cool rays', i.e., the moon]