Describing an object as having steampunk design elements
Consider this sentence from my novel:
The steampunk-esque device was a gift.
The Google n-gram viewer shows no results for either "steampunkesque" or "steampunk-esque." However, when searching the web, I find websites that use both variations.
Is it correct or at least reasonable to write the sentence in that way? Is there a better formulation that maintains the original compactness?
word-usage
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
add a comment |
Consider this sentence from my novel:
The steampunk-esque device was a gift.
The Google n-gram viewer shows no results for either "steampunkesque" or "steampunk-esque." However, when searching the web, I find websites that use both variations.
Is it correct or at least reasonable to write the sentence in that way? Is there a better formulation that maintains the original compactness?
word-usage
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
1
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
1
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
2
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36
add a comment |
Consider this sentence from my novel:
The steampunk-esque device was a gift.
The Google n-gram viewer shows no results for either "steampunkesque" or "steampunk-esque." However, when searching the web, I find websites that use both variations.
Is it correct or at least reasonable to write the sentence in that way? Is there a better formulation that maintains the original compactness?
word-usage
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
Consider this sentence from my novel:
The steampunk-esque device was a gift.
The Google n-gram viewer shows no results for either "steampunkesque" or "steampunk-esque." However, when searching the web, I find websites that use both variations.
Is it correct or at least reasonable to write the sentence in that way? Is there a better formulation that maintains the original compactness?
word-usage
word-usage
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
asked Jan 3 at 0:24
Eric J.
203110
203110
1
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
1
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
2
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36
add a comment |
1
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
1
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
2
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36
1
1
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
1
1
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
2
2
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36
add a comment |
1 Answer
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It is unfortunate that the term punkish has such a poor connotation and the generic steam-punx got combined into steampunks.
steam-punk was coined in late 1980's supposedly as a repartee
to cyberpunk which was supposedly coined in early 1980's (after the trendy 70's punk era) so its no surprise that the corresponding term would likely follow https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cyberpunkish
Thus I am forced to offer that the most appropriate term would be steampunkish
Derived terms
steampunker
steampunkish
steampunky
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
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oldest
votes
It is unfortunate that the term punkish has such a poor connotation and the generic steam-punx got combined into steampunks.
steam-punk was coined in late 1980's supposedly as a repartee
to cyberpunk which was supposedly coined in early 1980's (after the trendy 70's punk era) so its no surprise that the corresponding term would likely follow https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cyberpunkish
Thus I am forced to offer that the most appropriate term would be steampunkish
Derived terms
steampunker
steampunkish
steampunky
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
add a comment |
It is unfortunate that the term punkish has such a poor connotation and the generic steam-punx got combined into steampunks.
steam-punk was coined in late 1980's supposedly as a repartee
to cyberpunk which was supposedly coined in early 1980's (after the trendy 70's punk era) so its no surprise that the corresponding term would likely follow https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cyberpunkish
Thus I am forced to offer that the most appropriate term would be steampunkish
Derived terms
steampunker
steampunkish
steampunky
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
add a comment |
It is unfortunate that the term punkish has such a poor connotation and the generic steam-punx got combined into steampunks.
steam-punk was coined in late 1980's supposedly as a repartee
to cyberpunk which was supposedly coined in early 1980's (after the trendy 70's punk era) so its no surprise that the corresponding term would likely follow https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cyberpunkish
Thus I am forced to offer that the most appropriate term would be steampunkish
Derived terms
steampunker
steampunkish
steampunky
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
It is unfortunate that the term punkish has such a poor connotation and the generic steam-punx got combined into steampunks.
steam-punk was coined in late 1980's supposedly as a repartee
to cyberpunk which was supposedly coined in early 1980's (after the trendy 70's punk era) so its no surprise that the corresponding term would likely follow https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cyberpunkish
Thus I am forced to offer that the most appropriate term would be steampunkish
Derived terms
steampunker
steampunkish
steampunky
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
edited 2 days ago
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
answered Jan 3 at 1:18
KJO
2,830319
2,830319
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
add a comment |
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
Interesting, I hadn't thought along those lines. N-gram also has zero hits for steampunkish, though the latest date it will allow is 2008.
– Eric J.
Jan 3 at 1:38
add a comment |
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1
It's worth considering a few other ways to phrase it, such as "it oozed steampunk".
– Hot Licks
Jan 3 at 0:26
1
This suffix -esque is often used in situations like this to modify other words and create new ones that aren't strictly defined. On first use, stylistically, you may or may not want to put it in italics in order to signify you know that you are coining the word.
– Jason Bassford
Jan 3 at 0:31
2
I'm not sure that steampunk needs or merits a suffix, but perhaps the redoubtable -y or -ish might serve. ("Steampunk-esque" seems so steampunkische...)
– Rob_Ster
Jan 3 at 0:36