Re: techwr-l November 30, 2000: "based"

["Chris Knight" <cknight -at- attcanada -dot- ca>]

> My question is: Which is the correct method for using a place name as an
> adjective, when it is hyphenated with "-based" as in "Canadian-based
> company" or "Canada-based company"?

Well, if you said "Canada-based company", you'd be saying that the
geographic "basis" of the company is in Canada. If you said "Canadian-based
company", you would be saying that the company's "basis" is a Canadian
person (or persons) or a Canadian corporation or institution.
That is the only grammatical meaning of "Canadian-based company".

As one can see, "-based" is vague and barbarous buzzword, the sort of thing
marketing hacks come up with.
That aside, where, in this era of globalization, would EITHER of the above
phrases be relevant in *technical writing*? A prospectus for investors,
perhaps.

And I'd say this even I weren't a Canadian.
However, I am.


(Vancouver-based)
Christopher Knight, Technical Communicator
E-mail: cknight -at- attcanada -dot- ca
Phone: (604) 877-0074




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