TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: e-mail or email? From:Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 17 Jan 1995 09:41:18 EST
Jan Boomsliter asked:
>What is the purpose of the hyphen? neither "e" nor "mail" are
>abbreviations. I submit that this is a new term, like "fax," and
>that it should be written "email." No reason for anything else.
One reason would be to "force" pronunciation, by making it clear that it's a
long vowel sound, separate from the rest of the word: eee-mayal.
"Email" might transform into "ehm-ayl" over the years, if it's spelled as one
string of characters.
Sound crazy? Consider this: In the 1930s, the sport we know as "skiing" was
just starting to become popular in this country. The spelling has always been
as we know it, but the original pronunciation was "scheeeing." No kidding.
I've seen some old newsreel footage where they go out of their way to explain
the correct pronunciation.
Is this a big deal? Well, probably not. "eee-mayal" or "ehm-ayl", as long as
we understand each other, we've got the important point covered. It may be
interesting to see how this develops, as time passes.
Rick Lippincott
Eaton Semiconductor
Beverly, MA
rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com
