So can I, except the one about cooperate and coordinate, but I just like making things difficult. On Wed, 2006-09-27 at 07:30 +0100, Toby Smithe wrote: > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > I think I can safely say I agree with all the points you put forward below. > > David Lodge wrote: > > On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:29:10 +0100, Toby Smithe <toby smithe gmail com> > > wrote: > >>> Which is more correct: 'plugin', 'plug-in' or 'plug in'? > >>> Now extend this to other words > >>> like 'log-in', 'set-up', 'plug-in', 'pop-up', 'start-up', 'mark-up', > >> 'in-line', 'on-line', > >>> and 'built-in'. > >> I am on the list and I was party to that discussion. I believe that the > >> system should be "to log in" (verb) and "login" noun. Again, "mark up" > >> (verb) and "markup" (noun). My rationale is on the archives: > > > > The Oxford University Press style guide states: (typing errors are mine, > > bad punctuation is OUP's) > > "In general the tendency is for new or temporary pairings of words to be > > spaced, and for new or temporary linkages of a prefix, suffix, or > > combining form with a word to be hyphenated. As the combination becomes > > fixed over time, it may pass through the hyphenation stage and finally > > come to be set as one word. Some compounds are hyphenated where there is > > an awkward collision of vowels or consonants, particularly one that > > might lead to mispronunciation (clear-cut, drip-proof, take-off, > > part-time) or to signal an abstract (rather than literal) meaning > > (bull's-eye, crow's-feet, cross-question, glass-blower)." > > > > Also it mentions that an old style is that a combination 'twixt present > > participle and a noun was to be spaced if the noun is providing the > > action (e.g. walking wounded) but hyphenated if the compound was the > > action (e.g. walking-stick). This rule is generally not used and both > > forms are now spaced. > > > > Also, formerly a single adjectival noun and the noun it modified would > > be hyphenated (e.g. volume-number). This is, again, deprecated. > > > > Also a hyphenation may be used if two or more modifiers *precede* the > > noun, where they form a unit. Compare "a stainless-steel table" with "a > > table of stainless steel". This isn't hyphenated if the first adjective > > modifies the complete noun phase after it, e.g. a stainless-steel table > > is a table made out of stainless steel, but a stainless steel table is a > > steel table that is stainless. > > > > There's lots more (about 8 pages). > > > > So in this case, we can rule "plugin", "login" etc. as having become > > fixed over time to be non-space (as nouns at least) and as there are no > > pronunciation difficulties a hyphen is not required. > > > > In terms of invented words (that people like to use, e.g. the use of > > ellipisize [sic] in gtk+), if we can't avoid the new word, we should > > apply the simple test to it (if used as a noun): > > * Is it a common term? (= one word) > > * Does it have pronunciation difficulties, or may cause confusion out of > > context (= hypenated) > > * Otherwise (= spaced) > > > > In terms of use as a verb I'd agree with Toby, but I feel that we are > > pandering to the American English tendency to turn nouns into verbs on a > > regular basis: log in should be treated as the verb "log" and the > > preposition "in", rather than the whole thing as a verb. > > > > Finally, I disagree OUP over "cooperate" and "coordinate", I think that > > they should be hyphenated to aid pronunciation. But that's my own > > personal opinion. > > > > dave > > > > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (GNU/Linux) > Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org > > iD8DBQFFGhpzv7fgPJvITk4RAszpAKDdnepD82RYF5YDvtQD6wFYEMdTlQCeLFNN > RIMrzk9Cqhta5YrRWoDFnIw= > =tUcM > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > _______________________________________________ > Gnome-uk-list mailing list > Gnome-uk-list gnome org > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gnome-uk-list >
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