COMPOUNDS

Use the hyphenated compound only when it is clearly indicated. Consult Webster's New International Dictionary in cases not covered by the following rules.

1. Let meaning be your first guide in compounding. Always use one of the two compound forms (hyphenated or solid-word) whenever the meaning to be expressed is different from that conveyed by the words used separately. Thus, a great grandfather is quite different from a great-grandfather; a wild cat from a wildcat. Watermelons at 10 cents a piece (when sold by the slice) would be much more expensive than at 10 cents apiece (when sold a whole melon at a time). Other examples are numerous.

(a) Distinguish between every one and everyone, any one and anyone, some one and someone. The two-word forms indicate individuals of specified groups, while the solid-word forms are vaguely inclusive. In addition, the solid-word forms almost invariably refer to persons, while the two-word forms may or may not. Thus: "I had twenty men listed, and by night I had seen every one."-"Here are three apples; you may have any one."-"Some one of these three rules will apply." To say "By night I had seen everyone" would mean everyone on earth. Anyone would hardly mean apples, nor would someone be applied to rules.

(b) Make the same distinction between every body and everybody, any body and anybody, some body and somebody. When the two-word form is used, body retains its separate meaning. Thus: Every body in the universe attracts every other body."—"Any body of men may form an organization."—"They camped on the shores of some body of water, but could not learn its name."

(c) Distinguish between some time and sometime. "The play will be given sometime next week."-"The play will be given at some time to be selected later."-"Some time elapsed before he returned."

Note: The pronunciation of a word or series of words frequently will aid in determining whether a compound form or the separate-word form should

be used. If one syllable is stressed, and the others accented only secondarily if at all, the chances are that a compound form should be used. If a syllable in each word is stressed, it is likely that the words still retain their individuality and should be written as separate words. Pronunciation is unreliable, however, as a guide to the use or omission of the hyphen in a compound word.

2. The shorter the words, the more likely they are to be combined without the hyphen, even if the meaning is the same as that expressed by the separate words. This applies especially to compounds of only two syllables.

(a) Write today, tonight and tomorrow without the hyphen. Make cannot one word.

(b) In general, compound the following words without the hyphen when the prefix is of only one syllable, and do not compound at all when the prefix is of more than one syllable:

Some exceptions to this rule are: Circuit Court room, Commercial Club rooms, frame house, brick house, White House, cuttlefish, battleship, back yard, front yard.

(c) Compounds of eye are written without the hyphen, as eyewitness, eyeball, eyelash.

(d) Fold is joined without the hyphen to a word of one syllable, but is hyphenated when joined to a word of two or more syllables, as threefold, tenfold, hundred-fold, seventy-fold. 3. Use the hyphen in any compound word which is so long or unusual as to be confusing otherwise, as post-revolutionary, extrajudicial, ultra-fashionable.

4. Ex preceding a title takes the hyphen, as ex-President Taft.

But former President Taft is the preferred form. Do not capitalize ex or former.

5. Hyphenate such combinations as vice-president, vice-consul, governor-general, surgeon-general, lieutenant-general, brigadier-general, postmaster-general, attorney-general, commander-in-chief, lieutenant-colonel, sergeant-major, sergeant-at-arms, etc., but do not hyphenate prosecuting attorney, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, deputy chief, first deputy, etc. Capitalize all the principal elements of such titles when preceding a name, whether or not the hyphen is used, as Vice-Consul Smith, Brigadier-General Henry, Sergeant-at-Arms White, First Lieutenant Jones. Capitalize the same way in headlines. 6. Observe the following forms: schoolmaster, schoolma'am, schoolroom, schoolhouse, schoolboy, schoolgirl; school board, school children, high school, ward school, school-teacher, school-teaching. 7. Observe the following rules with regard to prefixes:

(a) Such prefixes as demi, semi, bi, tri, co, pre, re, sub, super, inter, intra, ante, anti and post are usually joined to a word without the hyphen, unless (1) the prefix ends in a vowel and is followed by the same vowel, unless (2) the prefix is followed by a proper name or unless (3) the hyphen is needed to distinguish the word from another of different meaning. Examples, showing exceptions numbered as above:

(b) Compounds of over and under are usually printed as one word, as underclassmen, overbold, underfed, undersecretary. (c) Counter as a prefix usually does not take the hyphen unless joined to a word beginning with r, as counteract, counterbalance (no hyphen), counter-revolution.

8. Hyphenate nouns that express a double occupation, as poetartist.

9. Compounds of half and quarter are usually hyphenated, as half-dollar (but half a dollar), half-past, quarter-mile (but solid word in quartermaster).

10. Hyphenate compounds of numbers, as thirty-two, forty-four (but one hundred and one).

11. Hyphenate fractions, as one-fourth, three-sevenths.

12. Words formed with the suffix wide usually take the hyphen, as state-wide, city-wide.

13. Hyphenate such nouns as passer-by, runner-up.

14. Elect is joined to a title with the hyphen, as Governor-elect Smith. Do not capitalize elect.

COMPOUNDING BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION

Some words not ordinarily compounded are joined when used in certain constructions. Note the following cases:

15. Two or more words combined into one adjective preceding a noun should be hyphenated, as near-by building, never-to-be-forgotten event, well-known man, first-class investment, English-speaking peoples, up-to-date styles, 4-year-old boy, house-to-house canvass. (Note exceptions in Rules 16 and 17.) Do not hyphenate such combinations when they follow the noun, as a building near by, an event never to be forgotten, a man well known in the city, a canvass from house to house.

16. Do not compound an adverb ending in ly and a participle, even when combined as a modifying element, as freshly painted house. 17. Do not compound proper names consisting of more than one word, even when used as a modifying element, as Old English lettering, Civil War days.

18. Nouns such as toss-up, line-up, kick-off, strike-out, should be

compounded, usually with the hyphen, as in the examples already mentioned, but occasionally as solid words, as in walkout, lockout, tryout, workout. When used as verbs, they are divided, as to toss up, to kick off, to strike out, to work out.

19. The use of a modifying term sometimes separates the elements of a compound word. To indicate that a shoemaker makes wooden shoes you would call him a wooden-shoe maker, not a wooden shoemaker. The latter would be absurd. Similarly, write young schoolteacher, but high-school teacher. The young refers to the teacher, while the high refers to the school. A high school-teacher might be a school teacher in a balloon.

MISCELLANEOUS PREFERENCES

The following lists contain both words covered by the foregoing sections and others for which no attempt has been made to formulate rules.