Page:The practice of typography; correct composition; a treatise on spelling, abbreviations, the compounding and division of words, the proper use of figures and nummerals by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914.djvu/83



Compounds ending with -like are usually made one word, unless derived from a proper name, or appearing in unusual and unpleasing combination, as they do when two or more similar consonants meet, in which case the hyphen should be used, as it is in shell-like, bell-like, and miniature-like. Childlike, godlike, lifelike, ladylike, businesslike, etc., are always consolidated.

Compounds in which the prefix mid- begins the word are frequently written with a hyphen, as in mid-ocean; but the words in commoner use have become consolidated, as midday, midnight, midway, midsummer, midships, midland, midrib, midwife.

Expressions like a brownish yellow or a yellowish white, being simple cases of adjective and noun, are not compounded. But where a noun is used with an adjective to specify color the words may take the hyphen: lemon-yellow, silver-gray, olive-green, emerald-green, etc.

Compounds formed of nouns in the possessive case with other nouns are not infrequent, as in bird's-eye, death's-head, kingVevil, crow's-nest, bear's-foot, jew's-harp, etc. The use of a hyphen follow-