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orthography - Should the prefix "re" be added to a word with or without a hyphen?


In science we often invent words, but that doesn't mean we know how to spell them. Most of the time words are invented by adding prefixes. In that case should there be a hyphen or not? Specifically, I need to use



  • reexcite or re-excite (reentry is similar and a official word)

  • repolarize or re-polarization


The second seems fine in the no-hyphen form, but for the first, the double "e" makes the word difficult to read. I've seen similar use with a diaeresis over the e: ë as in reëxcite, but that looks strange; any pointers?



Answer



It depends on how recent the words are. If you are concerned that your meaning will be unclear, by all means use the hyphen. Words like reentry and reelect have been in usage for a long time and pretty much no one has a problem with them. Reexcite has not, so you would do better to stick with re-excites. If you want to edit something again, you are probably better off to re-edit it if you are worried that reedit will cause the reader to stumble.


Where the prefix is not followed by a vowel, however, you are not honor-bound to add the hyphen. If you want to repolarize something, go right ahead. According to Etymonline, the word repurpose is less than 30 years old, having dropped its hyphen somewhere in the early 1980s. So if you are the first to repolarize something, you are not likely to be the last, and you will probably start a trend. In any case, your meaning will be clear.


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