Shape-shifting or Shapeshifting

IsabelEmilyD

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The online Merriam-Webster dictionary says it has a hyphen in the middle. But I'm seeing most people use it as one word e.g. "Shapeshifter," including published authors, so now I'm thoroughly confused. I tried searching but can't find an answer. Is it just a matter of style?
 
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Mclesh

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Isabel, there are many words where it seems that you can go either way. So I would say it is a style choice. I've seen it both ways. It's come up in the series I'm working on, and without checking, I'm fairly certain I've used the hyphen. I just prefer the way it looks.

Sometimes I'll google a word and see how many times it comes up with the hyphen and without and choose the style more common.
 

Mclesh

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*after a quick search, shapeshifter came up 1.8 million times; shape-shifter came up 944K times. I think I'll use it as one word. :D
 

IsabelEmilyD

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*after a quick search, shapeshifter came up 1.8 million times; shape-shifter came up 944K times. I think I'll use it as one word. :D


Ahh...probably a good idea. Doh! I'll need to go change it throughout my MS. Darn you, Merriam-Webster!

Thanks to all who answered. It seems like even though the dictionaries haven't changed it, it will likely head that way soon. Also, Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series uses it as one word for her shapeshifting coyote MC, and it's on the New York Time's best sellers list, which makes me think many readers will expect it without the hyphen.
 

Chase

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Ahh...probably a good idea. Doh! I'll need to go change it throughout my MS. Darn you, Merriam-Webster!

Include WordWeb and American Heritage dictionaries as not recognizing shapeshifter. However, I agree with most to go with the single word more popular in your genre.

It's the same with the deaf world: Lipread and lipreader are in dictionaries but not speechread or speechreader, even though the latter two more accurately describe the skill set which is much more than merely reading lips.

Edit: If you word-process with WordPerfect or MS Word, you can perform a global search to change the hyphenated word to shapeshifter, right?
 
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Jamesaritchie

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I do as the dictionary tells me to do. A Google search is a poor way to learn how to use words. Not to be offensive, but three fourths of the people who use Google are not writers, and not overly educated.
 

IsabelEmilyD

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Edit: If you word-process with WordPerfect or MS Word, you can perform a global search to change the hyphenated word to shapeshifter, right?

Yeah, I can click on the "find and replace" function and replace all instances of "shape-shifter" to shapshifter etc.
 

IsabelEmilyD

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Is shapeshifters the newest trend in UF? Just wondered as my main character in my SciF/F/Horror is a skinwalker.

I believe it is a current trend, and it appears LGBT SF/F is, as well.

@jamesaritchie I feel ya. I've always been one to follow the dictionaries, too. But it's hard when published books, which have been through editors from top publishers such as Penguin, say it's one word :-(
 
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AJMarks

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I don't see a problem either way, but stay constant throughout the story. I run into a similar situation with battlecruiser or battle-cruiser.
 

guttersquid

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Just to be clear, the OP was about shapeshifting, not shapeshifter. It might make a difference. I would go with shapeshifter for the noun, but I would use shape shifting for the verb.
 

alexaherself

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I would use shape shifting for the verb.

I wouldn't. I don't think it matters whether you use hyphenation or a single word, but two separate words without the hyphen certainly look wrong, to me.

It isn't very important. A publisher's editor will amend it, if uncomfortable with whichever you use.