“-field” joining rule for compound words? Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast? Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar ManaraWhat is the difference between “going to love” and “gonna love”?Why are some words combined into a single word while others stay as two words?What are the possible part of speech combinations for compound nouns?When to make compound adjectives with adverbs?Are words like “otherwise” and “maybe” considered compound words?Is it possible to use a hyphen in a listing (in a sentence) for abbreviation, even if the compound word consists of two separate wordsWhy does pluralization of compound words typically occur in the middle as opposed to the end of the word?Words containing 2 overlapping standalone wordsShould hyphenated compound words be permitted to break across lines?Two-word verbs described with One-word nounsSo there is no solid rule to form PLURAL COMPOUND NOUNS right? Why say “gumball machine” but “securities dealer”?
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“-field” joining rule for compound words?
Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast?
Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar ManaraWhat is the difference between “going to love” and “gonna love”?Why are some words combined into a single word while others stay as two words?What are the possible part of speech combinations for compound nouns?When to make compound adjectives with adverbs?Are words like “otherwise” and “maybe” considered compound words?Is it possible to use a hyphen in a listing (in a sentence) for abbreviation, even if the compound word consists of two separate wordsWhy does pluralization of compound words typically occur in the middle as opposed to the end of the word?Words containing 2 overlapping standalone wordsShould hyphenated compound words be permitted to break across lines?Two-word verbs described with One-word nounsSo there is no solid rule to form PLURAL COMPOUND NOUNS right? Why say “gumball machine” but “securities dealer”?
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Is there a rule when to join a word with field and when to leave them as two separate words?
Examples:
I walked through a cornfield.
I walked through a maize field.
I walked through a minefield.
I walked through a cabbage field.
Why can I join mine with field, but not cabbage with field?
compounds
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 4 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
add a comment |
Is there a rule when to join a word with field and when to leave them as two separate words?
Examples:
I walked through a cornfield.
I walked through a maize field.
I walked through a minefield.
I walked through a cabbage field.
Why can I join mine with field, but not cabbage with field?
compounds
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 4 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
5
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
1
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13
add a comment |
Is there a rule when to join a word with field and when to leave them as two separate words?
Examples:
I walked through a cornfield.
I walked through a maize field.
I walked through a minefield.
I walked through a cabbage field.
Why can I join mine with field, but not cabbage with field?
compounds
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
Is there a rule when to join a word with field and when to leave them as two separate words?
Examples:
I walked through a cornfield.
I walked through a maize field.
I walked through a minefield.
I walked through a cabbage field.
Why can I join mine with field, but not cabbage with field?
compounds
compounds
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
edited Oct 26 '18 at 20:19
Hellion
54.8k14109198
54.8k14109198
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
asked Oct 26 '18 at 20:09
GanSeaGanSea
61
61
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 4 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 4 hours ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
5
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
1
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13
add a comment |
5
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
1
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13
5
5
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
1
1
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Looking through the OneLook Dictionary Search results for *field, no obvious pattern jumps out at me.
I thought it might be related to syllables, but there are polysyllabic compounds that are usually written closed (e.g. battlefield) as well as examples of monosyllables that are usually separated from field by a space (left field, right field, as well as your example of maize field).
Overall, the spelling of field compounds seems to be as unpredictable as the spelling of compound words in general. Following what I think is a usual pattern for compounds, -ing words are usually written with a space after them: e.g. playing field, flying field, killing field.
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
add a comment |
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Looking through the OneLook Dictionary Search results for *field, no obvious pattern jumps out at me.
I thought it might be related to syllables, but there are polysyllabic compounds that are usually written closed (e.g. battlefield) as well as examples of monosyllables that are usually separated from field by a space (left field, right field, as well as your example of maize field).
Overall, the spelling of field compounds seems to be as unpredictable as the spelling of compound words in general. Following what I think is a usual pattern for compounds, -ing words are usually written with a space after them: e.g. playing field, flying field, killing field.
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
add a comment |
Looking through the OneLook Dictionary Search results for *field, no obvious pattern jumps out at me.
I thought it might be related to syllables, but there are polysyllabic compounds that are usually written closed (e.g. battlefield) as well as examples of monosyllables that are usually separated from field by a space (left field, right field, as well as your example of maize field).
Overall, the spelling of field compounds seems to be as unpredictable as the spelling of compound words in general. Following what I think is a usual pattern for compounds, -ing words are usually written with a space after them: e.g. playing field, flying field, killing field.
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
add a comment |
Looking through the OneLook Dictionary Search results for *field, no obvious pattern jumps out at me.
I thought it might be related to syllables, but there are polysyllabic compounds that are usually written closed (e.g. battlefield) as well as examples of monosyllables that are usually separated from field by a space (left field, right field, as well as your example of maize field).
Overall, the spelling of field compounds seems to be as unpredictable as the spelling of compound words in general. Following what I think is a usual pattern for compounds, -ing words are usually written with a space after them: e.g. playing field, flying field, killing field.
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
Looking through the OneLook Dictionary Search results for *field, no obvious pattern jumps out at me.
I thought it might be related to syllables, but there are polysyllabic compounds that are usually written closed (e.g. battlefield) as well as examples of monosyllables that are usually separated from field by a space (left field, right field, as well as your example of maize field).
Overall, the spelling of field compounds seems to be as unpredictable as the spelling of compound words in general. Following what I think is a usual pattern for compounds, -ing words are usually written with a space after them: e.g. playing field, flying field, killing field.
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
answered Oct 26 '18 at 20:50
sumelicsumelic
51k8121230
51k8121230
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
add a comment |
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
1
1
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
The pattern is the millenium-long analytic-synthetic cycle. Words that are frequently used together often form compounds, then fuse, then become so closely associated native speakers become unaware they were ever separate morphemes in the first place. In other words, the pattern in the -field compounds is: the more commonly used, the more likely. That's what I was trying to get out with my original comment under the question.
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 21:07
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
field compounds? These are fields of crops: corn, oats, wheat etc. Battlefield and minefield are not vegetables. Mines and battles are things found in war.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 23:55
add a comment |
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5
It's an interesting question, but sadly the answer boils down to: because English isn't algebra. It isn't consistent, it isn't rigorous, it isn't predictable. What it is is a huge, sprawling, messy agglomeration of the expressed opinions of millions and millions of people over literal centuries. Going on millenia. The only way to know is to look up "cabbagefield" in the dictionary, and see if that's been established. As to why certain ones get established? Because they're more common. Half the USA is covered by cornfields. Minefields were a staple strategy in WWI & WWI, and still cause probs
– Dan Bron
Oct 26 '18 at 20:13
You can find plenty of US and British sources for "corn field" (2 words).
– Michael Harvey
Oct 26 '18 at 22:26
Because a minefield is not a vegetable, obviously.
– Lambie
Nov 25 '18 at 22:07
1
@DanBron Literal and illiteral centuries, even. ;-)
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
Nov 25 '18 at 22:13