Diaeresis

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Caol MacThòmais - 28 Nov 2006 17:34 GMT

For a while I have be using coöperate (.. above the second 'o' if that
does not come out) and the like for words that might normally be
hypenated, as I prefer it.

I was just now writing 'reinforced' in an essay, and was wondering
whether it too might have been 'reïnforced' at some point in its life.

kt.

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So I went down the ice-cream shop, and said 'I want to buy an ice-cream'.
He said 'Hundreds & Thousands?' I said 'We'll start with one.'

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ceceliaarmstrong@yahoo.com - 28 Nov 2006 20:56 GMT

Caol MacThòmais ha escrito:

> For a while I have be using coöperate (.. above the second 'o' if that
> does not come out) and the like for words that might normally be
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> So I went down the ice-cream shop, and said 'I want to buy an ice-cream'.
> He said 'Hundreds & Thousands?' I said 'We'll start with one.'

"I have been..."

It's usually spelled cooperate now. Reïnforced? I don't think so.
The diaresis was used in cooperate for a long time, and in naïve, but
is (almost) never seen now.

Prefixes get attached by hyphen when the prefix ends in the same vowel
that begins the root word -- except in cooperate. Or when prefix plus
root without hyphen can yield a completely different word, like re-wed.

Cece

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Daniel James - 29 Nov 2006 10:37 GMT

> I was just now writing 'reinforced' in an essay, and was wondering
> whether it too might have been 'reïnforced' at some point in its life.

I don't think it has ever been commonplace to use a diaeresis in the
spelling of "reinforced" -- diaereses are usually used over the second of a
pair of the /same/ letter, after all -- but that needn't stop you if you
feel your audience might read it as "rein forced", for example.

Definitions:

cooperate: scale of charges of a barrel maker.

reinforced: (of a horse) compelled to move in a certain direction by
pulling of the reins.

There are lots of words -- especially a good many starting with the prefix
"re-" or "de-" that could with benefit be written with a diaeresis, though
it is not commonly done. "reëlect", "reëvaluate", etc.. I'm also fond of
it's use in noöne.

Cheers,
Daniel.

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Odysseus - 30 Nov 2006 07:27 GMT

<snip>

> There are lots of words -- especially a good many starting with the prefix
> "re-" or "de-" that could with benefit be written with a diaeresis, though
> it is not commonly done. "reëlect", "reëvaluate", etc.. I'm also fond of
> it's use in noöne.

Oy! Off to APIHNA with you!

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Odysseus

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Daniel James - 30 Nov 2006 12:46 GMT

> > ... it's use ...
>
> Oy! Off to APIHNA with you!

Oop's. Sorry, it was late and my finger's were on auto-pil'ot.

Blushing,
Daniel.

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Caol MacThòmais - 30 Nov 2006 23:54 GMT

>> I was just now writing 'reinforced' in an essay, and was wondering
>> whether it too might have been 'reïnforced' at some point in its life.
>
> I don't think it has ever been commonplace to use a diaeresis in the
> spelling of "reinforced" -- diaereses are usually used over the second
> of a pair of the /same/ letter, after all --

I have seen that in many places, but noticed that a diaerisis is
described on Wikipedia for use to point out where to put a break in
pronounciation.

> but that needn't stop you if you feel your audience might read it as
> "rein forced", for example.
>
> Definitions:
>
> cooperate: scale of charges of a barrel maker.

I was looking a a popular shop here called the Co-op, outside they
adertised coop fresh eggs - a better ambiguous sign I have never seen.

> reinforced: (of a horse) compelled to move in a certain direction by
> pulling of the reins.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> diaeresis, though it is not commonly done. "reëlect", "reëvaluate",
> etc.. I'm also fond of it's use in noöne.

I use it in noöne too. I had not seen any use if a ¨ in print until I
read a copy of the New Yorker, how nicely archaic they are ;)

kt.

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I was in this restaurant and I asked for something herby.
They gave me a Volkswagen with no driver.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Diaeresis