On Wed, Jan 12 2011, Mark Harig wrote: >>> >>> The hyphenation makes it clear(er) that it is [a "for each REPL" >>> basis], rather than [a for each "REPL basis"] (what's a "REPL >>> basis"?). That is, it creates a compound modifier "per REPL" that >>> modifies "basis," instead of letting "per" act as a modifier to the >>> (unintended) term "REPL basis." > >> To my ears, "on a per REPL basis" can only make sense if per modifies >> REPL (because of the common expression "on a <> basis"), > > Encyclopedia Britannica is a pretty careful writer. Here is an example > of their usage of "per-[item] basis": > > Aspects of the topic per-occurrence basis are discussed in the > following places at Britannica. > > http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/450964/per-occurrence-basis > > That is, they have a topic called "per-occurrence basis" (for some > reason), and they hyphenated to compound modifier.
You had already convinced me, but now there's no possible discussion :) Thanks for the pointer! Cheers, jao -- None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. -Johann Wolfgang van Goethe (1749-1832)
