I strongly second Steve Izma. "-based" is an ugly substitute for "based on", regardless of what other words are present.
Doug On Wed, Oct 12, 2022 at 12:03 PM <groff-requ...@gnu.org> wrote: > > Send groff mailing list submissions to > groff@gnu.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > groff-requ...@gnu.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > groff-ow...@gnu.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of groff digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > (Alejandro Colomar) > 2. Re: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' (Steve Izma) > 3. Re: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > (G. Branden Robinson) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:47:27 +0200 > From: Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpa...@gmail.com> > To: groff <groff@gnu.org> > Cc: linux-man <linux-...@vger.kernel.org>, "G. Branden Robinson" > <g.branden.robin...@gmail.com> > Subject: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > Message-ID: <82b77010-6b42-a58a-f8c7-b977297d6...@gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed" > > Hi, > > In a patch to linux-man@ there's a 3-word compound adjective. I don't > know what are the rules for such a thing, and I'd like to have some > consistency (and correctness) in the manual pages. > > I've seen many different things in the past;: > > a) block device-based filesystems > b) block-device-based filesystems > c) block- device-based filesystems > > And now I found one more > <https://www.editorgroup.com/blog/to-hyphenate-or-not-to-hyphenate/>: > > d) block device\[en]based filesystems > > Where the en dash is used to distinguish it from 'a block filesystem > based on a device'. > > Which form would you recommend me to use? > > > Cheers, > > Alex > > -- > <http://www.alejandro-colomar.es/> > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: OpenPGP_signature > Type: application/pgp-signature > Size: 833 bytes > Desc: OpenPGP digital signature > URL: > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/attachments/20221012/c5ba078c/attachment.sig> > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:07:41 -0400 > From: Steve Izma <si...@golden.net> > To: groff@gnu.org > Subject: Re: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > Message-ID: <Y0bYPR0azVWb2VlX@locust> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > On Wed, Oct 12, 2022 at 04:47:27PM +0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote: > > Subject: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > > > > a) block device-based filesystems > > b) block-device-based filesystems > > c) block- device-based filesystems > > Surely "filesystems based on block devices" is much less > mind-boggling. > > -- Steve > > -- > Steve Izma > - > Home: 35 Locust St., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada N2H 1W6 > E-mail: si...@golden.net phone: 519-745-1313 > cell (text only; not frequently checked): 519-998-2684 > > == > The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best – and > therefore never scrutinize or question. > -- Stephen Jay Gould, *Full House: The Spread of Excellence > from Plato to Darwin*, 1996 > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:52:49 -0500 > From: "G. Branden Robinson" <g.branden.robin...@gmail.com> > To: Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpa...@gmail.com> > Cc: groff <groff@gnu.org>, linux-man <linux-...@vger.kernel.org> > Subject: Re: 3-word compound adjectives; the return of the '-' > Message-ID: <20221012155224.yhlmkaid23aumzoo@illithid> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hi Alex, > > At 2022-10-12T16:47:27+0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote: > > In a patch to linux-man@ there's a 3-word compound adjective. I don't > > know what are the rules for such a thing, and I'd like to have some > > consistency (and correctness) in the manual pages. > > Always laudable goals! :D > > > I've seen many different things in the past;: > > > > a) block device-based filesystems > > b) block-device-based filesystems > > c) block- device-based filesystems > > > > And now I found one more > > <https://www.editorgroup.com/blog/to-hyphenate-or-not-to-hyphenate/>: > > > > d) block device\[en]based filesystems > > > > Where the en dash is used to distinguish it from 'a block filesystem > > based on a device'. > > Personally, I think the en dash is too much trouble to mess with. Only > readers as meticulous as we, and those with good fonts and good > eyesight, will distinguish the en dash and hyphen glyphs. > > > Which form would you recommend me to use? > > Steve Izma articulated a good principle. If thrust upon the horns of a > wordsmithing dilemma, consider recasting entirely. > > That said, I'd go with "block device-based filesystems",[1] because > there is no hyphen already in the noun phrase "block device", just as > there isn't in "ice cream" (a compound word), and perhaps more on point, > as there isn't in "hot fudge sundae" (even though it is only the fudge > that is hot,[2] not the whole sundae). > > Similarly, we say "thirty year-old bug" and "two-fisted drinker", but > "mother-in-law-driven divorce". The multiplicity of hyphens in the last > case is because they're already present in the word being compounded. A > "mother in law" would, strictly, refer to a maternal figure with an > occupation in the legal system. > > I'd dig more into the underlying grammatical principles I would > articulate for these cases but I'd prefer to get this email completed > before next month. ;-) > > Regards, > Branden > > [1] I prefer "file system" and "file name" to their space-free > alternatives; I think the latter are the product of programmers > forgetting that they're writing English nouns instead of C > identifiers. But I acknowledge that in many quarters those battles > are lost. > [2] and it's chocolate sauce anyway, not true fudge--such is marketing > honesty in the U.S. > -------------- next part -------------- > A non-text attachment was scrubbed... > Name: signature.asc > Type: application/pgp-signature > Size: 833 bytes > Desc: not available > URL: > <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/groff/attachments/20221012/61efcef9/attachment.sig> > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > groff mailing list > groff@gnu.org > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/groff > > > ------------------------------ > > End of groff Digest, Vol 216, Issue 8 > *************************************
