On Aug 29,  6:12am, "Perry E. Metzger" wrote:
} Richard Earnshaw <rearnsha@arm.com> writes:
} > > The Merriam Webster Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary
} > > both disagree with you. I tend to believe them.
} > 
} > Fowler (Modern English Usage)[1] prefers dropping the hyphen in this case.
} > 
} > In fact, he goes on to say that for technical words then the hyphen should 
} > generally be dropped *if the reader can be expected to know the word 
} > already*.
} 
} This brings up an interesting question -- is filesystem better than
} file-system? I think so, but it isn't clear.

     Or, "file system".  These are two words that have been smashed
togther to make a new technical term.  Is there a definitive reference
that is commonly accepted that has something to say on this?  There is
one reference given above, but I don't know if it is commonly
accepted.  Does anybody know somebody with a PhD in English that is
famailier with both American and British conventions?

}-- End of excerpt from "Perry E. Metzger"