[meteorite-list] Strewnfield or Strewn Field?

[Martin Altmann]

Hello Jeff,

>and I think one might argue that either could be "correct,"

In languages always the speakers decide, what is correct. Usage rules.

Hehe, Google as a strong linguistic tool - let's check:

"strewn field"  ->  20,900 hits

"strewnfield"   ->  22,800 hits

Therefore I'd say both forms are in use and "correct".

I don't know, how productive that word building process is, cause I haven't
clues about English language, maybe Bernd can help better.

airfield
backfield
battlefield
coalfield
cornfield
downfield
goldfield
grainfield
hayfield
infield
midfield
minefield
oilfield
outfield
snowfield
subfield
upfield
Lancefield, Springfield & Garfield



Martin,
from the Streufeld. 
(hence using "strewnfield")




-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] Im Auftrag von Jeff
Grossman
Gesendet: Samstag, 16. Januar 2010 05:14
An: Meteorite-list
Betreff: Re: [meteorite-list] Strewnfield or Strewn Field?

I would conjecture that this term must have originated with the phrase 
"meteorite-strewn field," i.e. a field strewn with meteorites. If you 
search for the term "rock-strewn" in publications, it virtually always 
appears with the hyphen when used as an adjective, which I believe is 
grammatically correct. For some reason, meteoriticists in the 1940s, who 
seems to have brought the phrase into common usage, didn't like the 
hyphen, and I'm not sure anybody ever actually used "meteorite-strewn 
field" (or "tektite-strewn field") in a publication.  Instead, you see 
it without the hyphen (still a common form, "meteorite strewn field"), 
and in the abbreviated forms without the word meteorite at all: 
"strewn-field," "strewn field," and "strewnfield." But the word 
meteorite (or, sometimes, tektite) is always implied; I don't think you 
ever see mention of pumice strewnfields or hailstone strewnfields, etc.

It seems to me that a new word was then born, independent of the 
original phrase.  I think the hyphenated form can clearly be discarded 
as a remnant of the original phrase, incorrectly hyphenated.  The other 
two forms are really both new coinages, and I think one might argue that 
either could be "correct," if there is such a thing as correct.  Both 
are in common use now.  If I were editing a publication, I would 
probably make the stylistic choice of adopting the single-word version, 
"strewnfield."

Jeff