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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Hyphenation revisited
On 22 March 2003, under the present subject line, in Message-ID: (Email Removed), I said in a discussion of common-sense hyphenation
I've long felt that it should be conventional to
hyphenate the modified term in a case like : "I lost the large computer-manual", but I haven't seen a style guide that endorses that convention.
I've recently been happy to find that the Oxford Style Manual has the following to say about that very thing:
5.10.1 Compound Words
Until recently in British English, the noun phrases themselves were routinely hyphenated to unify the
sense: small scale-factory , white water-lily .
Although such hyphenation is less common now, editors should leave it where it has been imposed
consistently, as it can serve to avoid ambiguity.
I've long felt that it should be conventional to
hyphenate the modified term in a case like : "I lost the large computer-manual", but I haven't seen a style guide that endorses that convention.
I've recently been happy to find that the Oxford Style Manual has the following to say about that very thing:
5.10.1 Compound Words
Until recently in British English, the noun phrases themselves were routinely hyphenated to unify the
sense: small scale-factory , white water-lily .
Although such hyphenation is less common now, editors should leave it where it has been imposed
consistently, as it can serve to avoid ambiguity.
Top answer
In practice this is often too difficult to implement, for there is no algorithm available for doing the job. In many cases some understanding of meaning is necessary, and that is as yet beyond the reach of even the most ambitious AI programs. It requires human intervention.
- In practice this is often too difficult to implement, for there is no algorithm available for doing the job.
- In many cases some understanding of meaning is necessary, and that is as yet beyond the reach of even the most ambitious AI programs.
- It requires human intervention.
- Best, Jan
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3 Answers
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In practice this is often too difficult to implement, for there is no algorithm available for doing the job.
In many cases some understanding of meaning is necessary, and that is as yet beyond the reach
of even the most ambitious AI programs.
It requires human intervention.
Best,
Jan
In many cases some understanding of meaning is necessary, and that is as yet beyond the reach
of even the most ambitious AI programs.
It requires human intervention.
Best,
Jan
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[nq:1]I've recently been happy to find that the Oxford Style Manual has the following to say about that ... less common now, editors should leave it where it has been imposed consistently, as it can serve to avoid ambiguity.[/nq]
But this is an excellent example (in my mind anyway) where such hyphenation has served to ambiguate it in the wrong direction.
The example is cited: small scale-f
But this is an excellent example (in my mind anyway) where such hyphenation has served to ambiguate it in the wrong direction.
The example is cited: small scale-f
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[nq:2]I've recently been happy to find that the Oxford ... been imposed consistently, as it can serve to avoid ambiguity.[/nq]
[nq:1]But this is an excellent example (in my mind anyway) where such hyphenation has served to ambiguate it in the ... is associated with scales, and it is a small example of such a factory. A small factory that makes scales.[/nq]
That's indeed what it means. Why
[nq:1]But this is an excellent example (in my mind anyway) where such hyphenation has served to ambiguate it in the ... is associated with scales, and it is a small example of such a factory. A small factory that makes scales.[/nq]
That's indeed what it means. Why
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