On Fri, Sep 27, 2024 at 02:04:59PM -0400, Mouse wrote:
> >>> If the -r option not was given, and the two character sequence `\'
> >> ^^^^^^^ ^
> >> was not s
>
> > But for the 's', no, English is just weird for things like that.
>
> Yeah. When you're using a count noun with a number as a compound
> adjective, it uses the singular form of the noun, even if the
> number-plus-noun as a compound noun would use the plural form. "Two
> characters", but "two-character sequence" (written, above, without the
> dash; I'm including the dash because I think it's clearer that way).
> Similarly, "three cars", but "a three-car garage"; "this keyboard has
> 94 keys" but "this is a 94-key keyboard".
>
> I have no idea why, except "history".
Perhaps because of the spoken language: "two-cars garage" could be
confused with "two cars' garage" (the garage for these two cars) to be
contrasted with a garage able to accommodate two cars?
I will finally learn english some day ;-)
--
Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ kergis +dot+ com>
http://www.kergis.com/
http://kertex.kergis.com/
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