Questions about words that are created by combining two or more other words together.
12
votes
4answers
5k views
Should I use “ related” or “-related”
What is the correct use of the term "related?" For example, should I use it like computer related, or is it more proper to use computer-related (where the word "computer" is just part of my ...
21
votes
5answers
775 views
Words that are pluralized in the middle?
This is purely a curiosity, but I'm fascinated by mid-word pluralization, even if the word in question is a compound word.
For example, passersby or standersby.
No others have occurred to me. Can ...
3
votes
5answers
580 views
Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that have common parts
In my native language, Norwegian, one uses hyphens when stating two or more copulated compound words that has common parts (words). In a thesis I'm working on, should I write
test specimens, test ...
8
votes
2answers
260 views
Chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped?
Is it chainsaw-equipped or chainsaw equipped? And with what kind of former words to use "-" properly?
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Adjective pluralization
A 16-year-old girl.
She is 16 years old.
I've read somewhere that the reason the year in the first example is singular is that it functions as an adjective, and adjectives can't be ...
5
votes
3answers
556 views
Is there a grammar rule behind the hyphen in the phrase 'one-act play'?
I noticed that the phrase 'one-act play' always uses a hyphen between 'one' and 'act'.
Is there a grammar rule in play here, how does it work?
3
votes
1answer
459 views
Multiple compound words [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to connect a word and a phrase with a dash?
Hello, I'm a non-native English speaker and I'm writing a scientific paper about biometric identification based on heart ...
0
votes
2answers
644 views
Hyphenation in compound adjectives [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
To hyphenate or not?
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
When is it appropriate to use a hyphen?
In the sentence "Portland is known to ...
3
votes
1answer
303 views
Why are certain single word compound nouns pluralized in the middle
Hypothesis: compound nouns that are unhyphenated single words can be pluralized by adding an “s” to the noun root only when they consist of a noun + preposition.
This is a follow-up to an earlier ...
2
votes
1answer
163 views
Using hyphen and quote marks in composed term? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
I want to write a term composed out of multiple words, and I would like to know whether I have to use ...
2
votes
2answers
639 views
“One-Day Only Promotion” or “One-Day-Only Promotion”
A copywriter I'm working with wrote "One-Day Only Promotion" but my feeling is that "One-Day-Only Promotion" is correct. The first three words describe 'Promotion'. I know you don't hyphenate adverbs, ...
22
votes
5answers
951 views
Is a lengthy combination of words with hyphens like “the worst not-technically-in-a-recession year in American history” a new fashion of writing?
I found a hyphenated word , “not-technically–in-a-recession” in the sentence of September 28 New York Times’ article titled “Why Obama Is Winning,” written by co-ed columnist, Ross Douthat. It reads:
...
2
votes
2answers
433 views
How to obtain a list of compound words as nouns?
Example: polar bear
I can only detect polar as an adjective and bear as a noun. But polar bear is actually a "noun". How do I obtain a free list of such?
Another example: hot dog.
2
votes
3answers
1k views
How does the hyphen change the meaning in expressions like “high performance” and “high-performance”?
I'm wondering about the distinction between expressions like "high performance" and "high-performance", or "high level" and "high-level" and other similar pairs of words which are sometimes used with ...
2
votes
4answers
376 views
How to write dashes in “a 2-4-room-apartment”?
I want to write in the announcement a description of an eventual apartment, which I am searching as a rental. I am interested in apartments with 2, 3, or 4 rooms. How should I write the compound ...
46
votes
9answers
4k views
“Username”, “user name” or “user-name”
In computer science, you should have a username or a user name or a user-name and a password to be able to log into the system.
Which one is the correct spelling?
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Compound words: what real compound word is composed of most words?
I was looking at this question about the word albeit and it got me thinking... what is the most compound, non-hyphenated, real word in English? Strictly speaking, albeit might not be counted as a ...
15
votes
4answers
754 views
Obscenities considered less obscene in compounds? [NSFW]
There are at least a few cases in which a compound word or phrase, transparently containing an obscene word, seems to be considered less obscene (in some dialect/registers/circumstances) than the word ...
5
votes
2answers
682 views
Why do we call snail mail “snail mail”?
Why do we call snail mail "snail mail"?
So by default mail will refer to email?
8
votes
3answers
1k views
What is the difference between “onetime” and “one time”?
I was reading a book that had a sentence containing this:
...onetime commissioner of New York...
8
votes
2answers
552 views
Why are some words combined into a single word while others stay as two words?
Examples:
Anyone
Anything
Anytime
Anywhere
Everyone
Everything
Every time
Everywhere
No one
Nothing
No time
Nowhere
Someone
Something
Sometime
Somewhere
Why is there a discrepancy? Is there any ...
4
votes
2answers
107 views
“Pay-for” vs. “for-pay”
Is pay-for or for-pay the correct word? For example, which of these two sentences is correct?
This is a pay-for product.
This is a for-pay product.
3
votes
1answer
179 views
Do you read the 'c' in 'kc'?
For example:
clickcub
clickcube
clickcrab
clickcrate
clickcone
In which of those cases do you read the 'c' and not?
2
votes
3answers
650 views
“Adult and children stories” or “Adults and children stories”?
How do you say it correctly?
Adult and children stories
Adults and children stories
Adults' and children's stories
other?
1
vote
2answers
191 views
“boilinghot” vs “boiling-hot” vs “boiling hot”
As the title indicates, these three forms of words/phrases can be quite confusing to me sometimes. When should they be written as one word ("boilinghot"), when should they be written in two words ...
