Re: Email versus e-mail
There was a day when to-morrow was broken in two halves...
And `to-day' and `to-night' as well - and it wasn't that long ago.
Talking of confusing compounds, when I came across "miniseries", being a non-native learner, I looked up 'minisery' (to no avail).
Even as a native speaker, I was thrown by that one, with my eye at first seeing at as a strange hybrid of `ministries' and `miseries'. I then pronounced it with the stress on the first syllable and with the next two syllables having an unstressed, indistinct vowel sound (somewhat like `missionaries'). After a few seconds, I did get it - without having to resort to a dictionary - but it would have been clearer to me with a hyphen. (Perhaps the word's not in such common use on this side of the Atlantic though.)
Having said that, I'm one of those uncouth people who likes to spell `email' without a hyphen.* I do sympathise with those who then start reading it with an unstressed `e' (as in `emit', `emancipate' or `emasculate'), but I'm sure they will get used to it in the end. :o) There are a couple of words that always trip me up in a similar way - of course, I can't bring them to mind at the moment.
* I can at least count on Oxford University Press to support me in this, though. In the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors, they list `email' as their preferred spelling (but note that it can also be spelt `e-mail').
Best wishes,
Sandy
Ambertext, 2/Gf Bruntsfield Crescent, Edinburgh EH10 4EZ, Scotland
+44 (0) 131 447 9257 http://www.ambertext.co.uk/ sandy -at- ambertext -dot- co -dot- uk
Sole proprietor: Alexander J Nicholson
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com
To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
References:
RE: FW: Email versus e-mail: From: Sankara R
Previous by Author:
Re: plural form of 'equipment' ?
Next by Author:
Re: Push for Simpler Spelling: English as a Global Language
Previous by Thread:
RE: FW: Email versus e-mail
Next by Thread:
RE: FW: Email versus e-mail
Search our Technical Writing Archives & Magazine
Visit TechWhirl's Other Sites
Sponsored Ads