LL-L "Orthography" 2006.02.10 (08) [E]

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   L O W L A N D S - L * 10 February 2006 * Volume 08
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From: Henry Pijffers <henry at saxnot.com>
Subject: LL-L "Orthography" 2006.02.09 (02) [E]

Ron schreev:
>
> In one of today's local newspapers I found in a headline an interesting
> example of ambiguity due to omission of orthographic compounding
> (including hyphenation):
>
> "Unemployment Benefits Hearing"
>
> In the spoken language there would be no such ambiguity because of
> stress (emphasis):
>
> (1) unemPLOYment benefits hearing
>      (an inquiry or trial deliberating whether or not an unemployed
>      person should receive financial support)
>
> (2) unemployment benefits HEARing
>      (being unemployed is good for your sense of hearing)
>
> No ambiguity in (1) by use of hyphen:
>
> "Unemployment-Benefits Hearing"
>
If singled out, then yes, a hypen would be beneficial. But things are
always in a certain context, which eliminates the ambiguity.

Henry

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Orthography

Ha, die Henry!

> But things are
> always in a certain context, which eliminates the ambiguity.

Sure.  And there was a context ... or ... yes and no.  It was a newspaper 
headline that stood out.  You had to read the actual article to find out, 
because the context of the page it was on could have accommodated either 
meaning.  My first reaction was, "Hũh?!" ("huh?!" said nasally).

You see, too much noise at the workplace makes unemployment beneficial to 
your hearing.  ;-)  But of course this wasn't what was meant.

Cheerio!
Reinhard/Ron 

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