Re: The story of the stained-glass window

Rags

I have consulted the oracle of oracles The Peoples Friend

And remember, you only need to hyphenate the adjective – it is never a stained-glass-window.

Game over.

surely the noun is "glass window" in this particular instance ... it isn't a compound adjective situation

that's why you could write stained-glass panel (which would be correct) whereas stained-glass window is incorrect.

Rags...

You're wrong this time mate.

The noun is window. The other words describe the type of window.
Plastic window, wooden window, aluminium window.

The glass is stained... not the window. The little bits of stained glass make up the window.

Together stained and glass become an adjective describing the type of window. Stained-glass window.

Give up on it.

"The noun is window. The other words describe the type of window.
Plastic window, wooden window, aluminium window."

but not a glass window in your instances where you are talking about the frame

it's a plastic framed window with a glass pane, or a wooden framed window with a glass pane, or a plastic framed window with a glass pane.

so a plastic framed window with a stained glass pane, or a wooden framed window with a stained glass pane, or a plastic framed window with a stained glass pane.

a glass framed window with a stained glass pane would be a stained-glass panel - not a window at all