When do I use a hypen between the word re and installation and others?

[Nocturnal]

Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system or redoing or
re whatever. Is it always re-install or reinstall? Or if not, when would I
use one over the other and vice versa?

[HVS]

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system
or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install or
reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the other and
vice versa?

I don't think there are hard-and-fast rules, but the stylistic
ones I'd use are:

- generally, re- words aren't usually hyphenated; reinstall;
reproduce; reworking; reinstate

- I'd use a hyphen if the compound has a double "e": "re-enter"
is easier on the eye than "reenter"

- a hyphen is necessary where the meaning is different:
"recreation" and "re-creation" don't mean the same thing.

(I'll now sit back and wait for others to say I'm wrong.)

[Stephen Calder]

Post by HVS

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system
or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install or
reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the other and
vice versa?

I don't think there are hard-and-fast rules, but the stylistic
- generally, re- words aren't usually hyphenated; reinstall;
reproduce; reworking; reinstate
- I'd use a hyphen if the compound has a double "e": "re-enter"
is easier on the eye than "reenter"
"recreation" and "re-creation" don't mean the same thing.
(I'll now sit back and wait for others to say I'm wrong.)

No, you're right.

[Mark Brader]

I don't think there are hard-and-fast rules...

Agreed.

- generally, re- words aren't usually hyphenated; reinstall;
reproduce; reworking; reinstate

Agreed.

This is particularly true if the part after the "re" is not a word
or is a rare word. "Instate" is practically never used by itself,
so "re-instate" looks peculiar.
I see no reason to treat re+e any differently than re+a or re+i.

"re-enter" is easier on the eye than "reenter"

I disagree; the hyphen seems an unnecessary hiccup. Having said
that, I concede that it is widely used.

"recreation" and "re-creation" don't mean the same thing.

It may be desirable, but many people don't find it "necessary"
I think I see "recreation" without a hyphen more often than with,
even when it means re-creation. Likewise for "resent" and "re-sent".

[HVS]

Post by Mark Brader

I don't think there are hard-and-fast rules...

Agreed.

-snip agreed principle and agreed issue of choice-

Post by Mark Brader

"recreation" and "re-creation" don't mean the same thing.

It may be desirable, but many people don't find it "necessary"
I think I see "recreation" without a hyphen more often than
with, even when it means re-creation. Likewise for "resent"
and "re-sent".

I do see it as necessary, as I think consciously opting for
"recreation" when one means "re-creation" (or similar for "re-
sent" or "re-presented") is a triumph of form over function. It
sacrifices accessible clarity in favour of a dislike of hyphens,
which strikes me as erroneous rather than a neutral stylistic
choice.

[Lars Eighner]

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system or redoing or
re whatever. Is it always re-install or reinstall? Or if not, when would
I use one over the other and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen. The exceptions are for situations
in which the omission of the hyphen would form an unintended word:
re-creation vs. recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

[HVS]

In our last episode,

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system
or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install or
reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the other
and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen.

?? The exceptions you list below suggest you meant that
generally, "re" does *not* take a hyphen.

The exceptions are for situations in which the omission of the
hyphen would form an unintended word: re-creation vs.
recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

[T.H. Entity]

Post by HVS

In our last episode,

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system
or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install or
reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the other
and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen.

?? The exceptions you list below suggest you meant that
generally, "re" does *not* take a hyphen.

The exceptions are for situations in which the omission of the
hyphen would form an unintended word: re-creation vs.
recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

There is another rider I'd add, besides distinguishing between two
meanings. If the result looks horrible, such that it could be mistaken
for a being a new word pronounced differently, use a hyphen:

Not "reentry" but "re-entry"
Not "rearm" but "re-arm"
Not "reedit" but "re-edit"
Not "reuse" but "re-use"

However, I do re-alise that I am perhaps a tad re-actionary in my
general aversion to pug-ugly hyphenless prefixes that end in a vowel,
not just "re-".

--
THE

[HVS]

On Sat, 13 May 2006 22:08:40 GMT, HVS

Post by HVS

In our last episode,

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating
system or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install
or reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the
other and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen.

?? The exceptions you list below suggest you meant that
generally, "re" does *not* take a hyphen.

The exceptions are for situations in which the omission of
the hyphen would form an unintended word: re-creation vs.
recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

There is another rider I'd add, besides distinguishing between
two meanings. If the result looks horrible, such that it could
be mistaken for a being a new word pronounced differently, use
Not "reentry" but "re-entry"
Not "rearm" but "re-arm"
Not "reedit" but "re-edit"
Not "reuse" but "re-use"

I included the "double e" in my first reponse - Mark Brader
disagrees with it on stylistic grounds, which is fair enough --
but I agree with you about on "re-a" and "re-u" principles.

Interestingly, I don't feel the same about "re-i"; strange.

However, I do re-alise that I am perhaps a tad re-actionary in
my general aversion to pug-ugly hyphenless prefixes that end
in a vowel, not just "re-".

I'd put that aversion, though, in a different category -- a
stylistic choice, rather than the ambiguity introduced with
"re/present", "re/creation", "re/sent", etc.

[T.H. Entity]

Post by HVS

On Sat, 13 May 2006 22:08:40 GMT, HVS

Post by HVS

In our last episode,

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating
system or redoing or re whatever. Is it always re-install
or reinstall? Or if not, when would I use one over the
other and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen.

?? The exceptions you list below suggest you meant that
generally, "re" does *not* take a hyphen.

The exceptions are for situations in which the omission of
the hyphen would form an unintended word: re-creation vs.
recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

There is another rider I'd add, besides distinguishing between
two meanings. If the result looks horrible, such that it could
be mistaken for a being a new word pronounced differently, use
Not "reentry" but "re-entry"
Not "rearm" but "re-arm"
Not "reedit" but "re-edit"
Not "reuse" but "re-use"

I included the "double e" in my first reponse - Mark Brader
disagrees with it on stylistic grounds, which is fair enough --
but I agree with you about on "re-a" and "re-u" principles.
Interestingly, I don't feel the same about "re-i"; strange.

I noticed when concoting those examples that, in general, the shorter
the word, the greater my objection to losing the hyphen. The only
"re-i" words I first think of are quite long -- e.g. "reinvestigate",
"reintroduce" -- or so well-established in the "re-" form that the
prefix is barely noticeable as such (e.g."reiterate").

But what if it's short? Would you really say that a printer "reinks"
any plates that are printing too faint? Or that a clumsy pastry cook
had to "reice" a cake? I wouldn't; I'd definitely hyphenate.

--
THE

[HVS]

On Sun, 14 May 2006 10:48:50 GMT, HVS

-snip-

Post by HVS
I included the "double e" in my first reponse - Mark Brader
disagrees with it on stylistic grounds, which is fair enough
-- but I agree with you about on "re-a" and "re-u"
principles.
Interestingly, I don't feel the same about "re-i"; strange.

I noticed when concoting those examples that, in general, the
shorter the word, the greater my objection to losing the
hyphen. The only "re-i" words I first think of are quite long
-- e.g. "reinvestigate", "reintroduce" -- or so
well-established in the "re-" form that the prefix is barely
noticeable as such (e.g."reiterate").
But what if it's short? Would you really say that a printer
"reinks" any plates that are printing too faint? Or that a
clumsy pastry cook had to "reice" a cake? I wouldn't; I'd
definitely hyphenate.

Good point; so would I. I hadn't thought about the issue of word
length, but I agree that it has an impact on this.

It doesn't affect "re-e" words, though: I'd hyphenate "re-
examination" and "re-educate", for example.

[T.H. Entity]

Post by HVS

On Sun, 14 May 2006 10:48:50 GMT, HVS

-snip-

Post by HVS
I included the "double e" in my first reponse - Mark Brader
disagrees with it on stylistic grounds, which is fair enough
-- but I agree with you about on "re-a" and "re-u"
principles.
Interestingly, I don't feel the same about "re-i"; strange.

I noticed when concoting those examples that, in general, the
shorter the word, the greater my objection to losing the
hyphen. The only "re-i" words I first think of are quite long
-- e.g. "reinvestigate", "reintroduce" -- or so
well-established in the "re-" form that the prefix is barely
noticeable as such (e.g."reiterate").
But what if it's short? Would you really say that a printer
"reinks" any plates that are printing too faint? Or that a
clumsy pastry cook had to "reice" a cake? I wouldn't; I'd
definitely hyphenate.

Good point; so would I. I hadn't thought about the issue of word
length, but I agree that it has an impact on this.
It doesn't affect "re-e" words, though: I'd hyphenate "re-
examination" and "re-educate", for example.

I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and although
I don't actually come out in hives if I seen "cooperate", I hyphenate
it myself.

--
THE

[Father Ignatius]

Post by T.H. Entity
"coopt" is Dead Wrong

Even though, when he's right, he's right?

[R H Draney]

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and although
I don't actually come out in hives if I seen "cooperate", I hyphenate
it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd be spelled
"coöperate", and the one implied in the subject line would have been
"reïnstallation"....r

[HVS]

Post by R H Draney

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and
although I don't actually come out in hives if I seen
"cooperate", I hyphenate it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd be
spelled "coöperate", and the one implied in the subject line
would have been "reïnstallation"....r

Indeed it would have.

My reaction to seeing it in the wild these days, though, is that
it's so rare that it's become a conscious affectation -- like
clinging on to "connexion", or "Oxford-street".

[Nick Spalding]

Post by HVS

Post by R H Draney

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and
although I don't actually come out in hives if I seen
"cooperate", I hyphenate it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd be
spelled "coöperate", and the one implied in the subject line
would have been "reïnstallation"....r

Indeed it would have.
My reaction to seeing it in the wild these days, though, is that
it's so rare that it's become a conscious affectation -- like
clinging on to "connexion", or "Oxford-street".

An affectation indulged in by the New Yorker.

[HVS]

Post by Nick Spalding

Post by HVS

Post by R H Draney

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong
and although I don't actually come out in hives if I seen
"cooperate", I hyphenate it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd
be spelled "coöperate", and the one implied in the subject
line would have been "reïnstallation"....r

Indeed it would have.
My reaction to seeing it in the wild these days, though, is
that it's so rare that it's become a conscious affectation --
like clinging on to "connexion", or "Oxford-street".

An affectation indulged in by the New Yorker.

Indeed it is. And the New Yorker's conscious retention of house
styles which have been abandoned elsewhere -- typeface, layout,
orthography -- is an excellent illustration of affectation.

It accounts in large part, of course, for the magazine's charm --
but just because some aspects of an erudite institution have
charm doesn't mean that those traits don't constitute
affectation.

[Robert Bannister]

Post by R H Draney

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and although
I don't actually come out in hives if I seen "cooperate", I hyphenate
it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd be spelled
"coöperate", and the one implied in the subject line would have been
"reïnstallation"....r

Ah, those were the days! I remember writing those words like that.

[Al in Dallas]

On Mon, 15 May 2006 08:46:28 +0800, Robert Bannister

Post by Robert Bannister

Post by R H Draney

Post by T.H. Entity
I think the same goes for "co-o" -- "coopt" is Dead Wrong and although
I don't actually come out in hives if I seen "cooperate", I hyphenate
it myself.

Whatever happened to the dieresis?...time was, that word'd be spelled
"coöperate", and the one implied in the subject line would have been
"reïnstallation"....r

Ah, those were the days! I remember writing those words like that.

You're making me feel young.

[Stephen Calder]

Post by Lars Eighner

Post by Nocturnal
Like say I am talking about reinstalling my operating system or redoing or
re whatever. Is it always re-install or reinstall? Or if not, when would
I use one over the other and vice versa?

In general "re" does take a hyphen. The exceptions are for situations
re-creation vs. recreation, re-collect vs. recollect, re-cover vs. recover,
re-form vs. reform, re-present vs. represent, etc.

I think you meant "does not take a hyphen".