hyphen etymology

Etymology:

• Middle English: iphen, yphen (c. 1400), from Latin hyphen, from Greek hyphḗn ("a joining")
• Greek: ὑφ- (huph-, "under") + ἕν (hén, "one")

Meaning and Origin:

The word "hyphen" originally referred to a mark used to connect the syllables of a compound word written as one word, such as "underwear" or "earthquake." In Greek, "hyphen" means "under one," indicating that the mark was placed underneath the letters to signify a single concept.

Over time, the hyphen expanded in use to:

• Join compound words: E.g., "mother-in-law," "well-known"
• Separate prefixes and suffixes from root words: E.g., "pre-heat," "anti-freeze"
• Divide words at the end of a line in writing: E.g., "Hyphens ensure the end of the word is vis-ible"

Usage:

• A hyphen should not be confused with a dash, which has different uses and lengths.
• In English, hyphens are typically used when two words are combined to create a new meaning, such as "well-behaved" or "light-year."
• Hyphens can also be used to avoid confusion or ambiguity in pronunciation, such as "re-cover" (vs. "recover") or "re-creation" (vs. "recreation").

hyphen relate terms

• hyphenate

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• hyphen

  Etymology Middle English iphen yphen c 1400 from Latin hyphen from Greek hyphḗ

• hyphenation

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• hyphen

  Etymology Middle English iphen yphen c 1400 from Latin hyphen from Greek hyphḗ

• dash

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• disease

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• baccalaureate

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