From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Phil Edwards To: Russ Allbery Cc: gcc@gcc.gnu.org Subject: Re: Manual style: "non-zero" vs "nonzero" Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2001 10:27:00 -0000 Message-id: <20011009132850.E21950@disaster.jaj.com> References: <200110082320.f98NKWl04100@banach.math.purdue.edu> X-SW-Source: 2001-10/msg00594.html On Mon, Oct 08, 2001 at 08:50:40PM -0700, Russ Allbery wrote: > >> In the GCC manuals, which of the spellings "nonzero" and "non-zero" should > >> be used? At present both are. > > > Mathematics journals definitely prefer "nonzero" (no hyphen). > > The 1989 OED prefers non-zero (as in it has an entry for that and has no > entry for nonzero), but it may be out of date. Nonzero without a hyphen > does appear in the current Merriam-Webster. Funny you should mention that; there's currently a thread in comp.std.c++ which had a brief side discussion over whether Merriam-Webster was an appropriate dictionary in technical arenas. :-) My only thought is that non-zero might be easier to parse for people who are not as familiar with English.[*] Phil [*] ...such as the editors of the OED, har har har- just kidding! -- If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home and leave us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen. - Samuel Adams