[meteorite-list] Strewnfield or Strewn Field?

From: Martin Altmann <altmann_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:41:37 +0100
Message-ID: <001c01ca96a9$3f6fa040$07b22959_at_name86d88d87e2>

Hello Jeff,

>and I think one might argue that either could be "correct,"

In languages always the speakers decide, what is correct. Usage rules.

Hehe, Google as a strong linguistic tool - let's check:

"strewn field" -> 20,900 hits

"strewnfield" -> 22,800 hits

Therefore I'd say both forms are in use and "correct".

I don't know, how productive that word building process is, cause I haven't
clues about English language, maybe Bernd can help better.

airfield
backfield
battlefield
coalfield
cornfield
downfield
goldfield
grainfield
hayfield
infield
midfield
minefield
oilfield
outfield
snowfield
subfield
upfield
Lancefield, Springfield & Garfield



Martin,
from the Streufeld.
(hence using "strewnfield")




-----Urspr?ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Jeff
Grossman
Gesendet: Samstag, 16. Januar 2010 05:14
An: Meteorite-list
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Strewnfield or Strewn Field?

I would conjecture that this term must have originated with the phrase
"meteorite-strewn field," i.e. a field strewn with meteorites. If you
search for the term "rock-strewn" in publications, it virtually always
appears with the hyphen when used as an adjective, which I believe is
grammatically correct. For some reason, meteoriticists in the 1940s, who
seems to have brought the phrase into common usage, didn't like the
hyphen, and I'm not sure anybody ever actually used "meteorite-strewn
field" (or "tektite-strewn field") in a publication. Instead, you see
it without the hyphen (still a common form, "meteorite strewn field"),
and in the abbreviated forms without the word meteorite at all:
"strewn-field," "strewn field," and "strewnfield." But the word
meteorite (or, sometimes, tektite) is always implied; I don't think you
ever see mention of pumice strewnfields or hailstone strewnfields, etc.

It seems to me that a new word was then born, independent of the
original phrase. I think the hyphenated form can clearly be discarded
as a remnant of the original phrase, incorrectly hyphenated. The other
two forms are really both new coinages, and I think one might argue that
either could be "correct," if there is such a thing as correct. Both
are in common use now. If I were editing a publication, I would
probably make the stylistic choice of adopting the single-word version,
"strewnfield."

Jeff
Received on Sat 16 Jan 2010 07:41:37 AM PST