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Subject:Re: On-line vs. online From:"Charles P. Campbell" <cpc -at- PRISM -dot- NMT -dot- EDU> Date:Wed, 27 Oct 1993 13:54:38 MDT
Compounds that start as two words usually go through a hyphenated
stage on their way to single-word status. Thus, going from _online_
to _on-line_ seems retrograde.
But the hyphenated or single-word forms are used only as adjectives,
not as predicate complements. That is, I may do online editing, but
I edit on line. Even this distinction may be disappearing along
with grammatical awareness.
Chuck
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Chuck Campbell, Assoc. Prof. *
Technical Communication Program * In chaos
Humanities Department *
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology*
Socorro, NM 87801 *
Voice 505-835-5284 * there is possibility
email cpc -at- nmt -dot- edu *
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