RULES FOR THE USE OF THE HYPHEN
1. Hyphenate nouns formed by the combination of two nouns standing in objective relation to each other, that is, one of whose components is derived from a transitive verb:
| well-wisher | wood-turning | |
| mind-reader | child-study | |
| office-holder | clay-modeling |
When such compounds are in very common use, and especially when they have a specific or technical meaning, they are printed solid;
| typewriter | stockholder | |
| proofreader | copyholder | |
| lawgiver | dressmaker |
2. Hyphenate a combination of a present participle with a noun when the meaning of the combination is different from that of the two words taken separately; boarding-house, sleeping-car, walking-stick.
3. Hyphenate a combination of a present participle with a preposition used absolutely (not governing the following noun); the putting-in or taking-out of a hyphen.
4. As a rule compounds of book, house, will, room, shop, and work should be printed solid when the prefixed noun has one syllable; should be hyphenated when it contains two; should be printed in two separate words when it contains three or more;
handbook, notebook, story-book, pocket-book, reference book.
clubhouse, storehouse, engine-house, power-house, business-house.
handmill, sawmill, water-mill, paper-mill, chocolate mill.
classroom, lecture-room, recitation room.
tinshop, tailor-shop, carpenter shop.
woodwork, metal-work, filigree work.
Unusual combinations such as source-book and wheat-mill are sometimes hyphenated, and the hyphen is sometimes omitted for the sake of the appearance as in school work.
5. Compounds of maker, dealer, and other words denoting occupation are generally hyphenated; harness-maker, job-printer.
The tendency is to print these words solid when they come into very common use; dressmaker.
6. Hyphenate nouns when combined in an adjectival sense before the name of the same person; the martyr-president Lincoln, the poet-artist Rosetti.
7. Compounds of store are generally hyphenated when the prefix contains one syllable, otherwise not; drug-store, fruit-store (but bookstore), provision store.
8. Compounds of fellow are hyphenated; fellow-being, play-fellow, but bedfellow.
9. Compounds of father, mother, brother, sister, daughter, parent, and foster should be hyphenated when the word in question forms the first part of the compound; father-love, mother-country, brother-officer, sister-state, daughter-cell, parent-word, foster-brother, but (by exception) fatherland.
10. Hyphenate compounds of great in phrases indicating degrees of descent; great-grandmother, great-great-grandfather.
11. Hyphenate compounds of life and world; life-history, world-influence, but (by exception) lifetime.
12. Compounds of skin with words of one syllable are printed solid, otherwise as two separate words; calfskin, sheepskin, alligator skin.
13. Hyphenate compounds of master; master-builder, master-stroke, but (by exception) masterpiece.
14. Hyphenate compounds of god when this word forms the second element; sun-god, war-god, godsend, godson.
15. Hyphenate compounds of half and quarter; half-truth, quarter-circle, half-title, but on account of difference in meaning of quarter, quartermaster, headquarters.
16. These prefixes
| ante- | infra- | re- | ||
| anti- | inter- | semi- | ||
| bi- | intra- | sub- | ||
| co- | pre- | super- | ||
| demi- | post- | tri- |
are ordinarily joined to the word with which they are used without a hyphen, except when followed by the same letter as that with which they terminate or by w or y;
| antechamber | post-temporal | |
| antiseptic | post-graduate | |
| anti-imperialistic | prearrange | |
| biennial | pre-empt | |
| bipartisan | recast | |
| co-equal | re-enter | |
| co-ordinate | semiannual | |
| demigod | subconscious | |
| inframarginal | subtitle | |
| international | superfine | |
| intersperse | tricolor | |
| intramural | co-workers | |
| intra-atomic | co-yield |
Exceptions are
(a) Combinations with proper names or adjectives derived therefrom, and long or unusual compounds;
| ante-bellum | sister-university | |
| anti-license | post-revolutionary | |
| anti-security | pre-Raphaelite | |
| demi-relievo | re-tammanize |
(b) Words in which the omission of the hyphen would alter the sense;
| re-formation | reformation | |
| re-cover | recover | |
| re-creation | recreation |
17. The negative prefixes un, in, il, im, and a do not take a hyphen except in very rare or artificial combinations; unmanly, invisible, illimitable, impenetrable, asymmetrical.
The negative prefix non calls for a hyphen except in very common words;
| non-existent | non-combatant | |
| non-interference | nonsense | |
| non-unionist | nonessential |
18. The prefixes quasi, extra, supra, ultra, and pan call for a hyphen;
| quasi-historical | supra-normal | |
| quasi-corporation | ultra-conservative | |
| extra-mural | Pan-Germanism |
Ultramontaine, probably because a specific party designation, is always printed solid.
19. Over and under do not ordinarily call for a hyphen; overemphasize, underfed, but over-careful, over-spiritualistic.
20. Combinations having self and by as the first element of the compound call for a hyphen; self-evident, self-respecting, by-law, by-product, but selfhood, selfish, and selfsame.
21. Combinations of fold are printed as one word if the number contains only one syllable but as two if it contains more than one;
| twofold | fifteen fold | |
| tenfold | a hundred fold |
22. Adjectives formed by a noun preceding like do not take a hyphen if the noun is a monosyllable, except when ending in l or a proper noun; if the noun contains more than one syllable a hyphen should be used; childlike, warlike, catlike, bell-like, Napoleon-like, but (by exception) Christlike.
23. Vice, elect, ex, general, and lieutenant as parts of titles are connected with the chief noun by a hyphen; vice-consul, ex-president, governor-elect, postmaster-general, lieutenant-colonel.
24. Today, tonight, and tomorrow are printed without a hyphen.
25. In fractional numbers spelled out connect the numerator and denominator by a hyphen. “The day is three-quarters gone,” four and five-eighths, thirty-hundredths, ninety-two thousandths.
Do not use the hyphen in an instance as “One half the business is owned by Mr. Jones, one quarter by Mr. Smith, and one eighth each by Mr. Browne and Mr. Robinson.”
26. Where two or more compound words occur together having one of their components in common, this component is often omitted from all but the last word and the omission indicated by a hyphen;
French-and Spanish-speaking countries, wood-iron-and steel-work, one-two-three-four and five-cent stamps.
This usage is objected to in some offices as being a Germanized form. It is however, less ambiguous than where the hyphen is omitted and is therefore preferable.
27. Ordinal numbers compounded with nouns take the hyphen in such expressions as second-hand, first-rate, and the like.
28. Numerals of one syllable take a hyphen in compounds with self-explanatory words such as four-footed, one-eyed, and the like.
29. Numerals compounded with nouns to form an adjective take the hyphen; twelve-inch rule, three-horse team, six-point lead.
30. The hyphen is used in compounding a noun in the possessive case with another noun; jew’s-harp, crow’s-nest.
31. The hyphen is used with most compounds of tree; apple-tree, quince-tree, but not when a particular object, not a tree (vegetable), is meant; whippletree, crosstree.
32. Use the hyphen in compounding two adjectives generally, especially personal epithets; asked-for opinion, sea-island cotton, dry-plate process, hard-headed, strong-armed, broad-shouldered.
33. The hyphen is not used in points of the compass unless doubly compounded; northeast, southwest, north-northeast, south-southwest by south.
34. Compounds ending with man or woman are run solid; pressman, forewoman.
35. Omit the hyphen in such phrases as by and by, by the bye, good morning (except when used adjectively, a good-morning greeting,) attorney at law, coat of arms.
36. Compounds ending in holder and monger are run solid; bondholder, cheesemonger.
37. Compounds beginning with eye are run solid; eyeglass, eyewitness.
38. Compounds unless very unusual, beginning with deutero, electro, pseudo, sulpho, thermo, etc., are run solid; electrotype, pseudonym, thermostat.
39. Do not separate
| meanwhile | anywhere | somebody | ||
| meantime | anybody | somehow | ||
| moreover | anyhow | something | ||
| forever | anything | sometime | ||
| everywhere | anyway | somewhat | ||
| somewhere |
In phrases like in the meantime and forever and ever the words are printed separately.
Any one and some one are separate words.
40. In compounds of color the hyphen is not used except when a noun is used with an adjective to specify color; reddish-brown, gray-white, lemon-yellow, olive-green, silver-gray.
41. Following is a list of words of everyday occurrence which should be hyphenated, and which do not fall under any of the above classifications.
These rules are the consensus of opinion of a considerable number of good authorities from DeVinne (1901) to Manly and Powell (1913). The great practical difficulty is that authorities differ as to their application. DeVinne uses the dieresis instead of the hyphen in such cases as co-operate or pre-eminent, writing coöperate, preëminent. Many of the rules have exceptions and authorities differ as to the extent of the exceptions. There are many differences in the great number of unclassified compounds. For example, Manly and Powell write coat-of-arms, while Orcutt writes coat of arms. Common usage omits the hyphen from post office except when used as an adjective, e. g., post-office accounts.
A strict adherence to the rules given would probably result, not in bad composition, but in a much greater use of hyphens than would be found on the pages of many recent books from the presses of some of the best publishers. This is due partly to the fact that usage has never been strictly uniform and partly to the constant progressive change noted at the beginning of this study. We are gradually discontinuing the use of the hyphen just as we are diminishing our use of capital letters, punctuation marks, and italics.
The compositor should ground himself thoroughly in the principles and rules. He should learn the best usage with regard to special words and phrases. He should master the office style. He should follow copy if the author has distinct and definite ideas which are not absolutely wrong and would not introduce inconsistencies in magazines and the like by violating the office style which is followed in other parts of the same publication. If it is clear that the author knows what he wants, the compositor should follow copy. Questions of correctness and conformity to style belong not to him but to the copy editor and proofreader.