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I was wondering what the exact rules are concerning hyphens, I know that they should be used to combine words that are used together but I'm not sure why for example "example-based methods" use a hyphen but machine learning does not.

So for what reason do these words have different rules and can this in any way be generalized?

Thijser
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  • @EdwinAshworth that seems to focus mostly on multiple words, what I'm interested in is mostly this specific case, why is it example-based but machine learning? – Thijser Jan 18 '18 at 10:09
  • @EdwinAshworth so it would be because machine in this case is commonly used to modify other words whereas example isn't? – Thijser Jan 18 '18 at 10:13
  • It's because 'example-based methods', like 'man-eating shark', 'long-term contract', 'zero-liability protection' and 'one-horse town', uses a compound premodifier. These are generally hyphenated (so we don't use 'example based methods', 'man eating shark', 'long term contract', 'zero liability protection' or 'one horse town'). But for simple premodifiers (as in 'small dog', 'steam train', 'higher education', 'gas stove', 'machine learning', the question of a hyphen within the modifier string does not arise. See this Wikipedia article.... – Edwin Ashworth Jan 18 '18 at 10:41
  • Of course, one must not confuse the modifier string with the head noun, which may be a hyphenated compound noun. So we can have 'old ink-well', 'old ice-axe' and the like. There may even be both a compound premodifier and a hyphenated compound head noun: 'state-of-the-art merry-go-round', 'over-the-counter anti-inflammatories'. – Edwin Ashworth Jan 18 '18 at 10:55
  • Man eating shark is the cause of low shark population. Watch out if someone tries to sells you zero liability insurance. When you've seen one horse town, you've seen them all. –  Jan 18 '18 at 12:17

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