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Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

-wise suffix

English answer:

better to avoid it altogether and use "in terms of" or adverbs instead

Added to glossary by María Teresa Taylor Oliver
Nov 30, 2004 20:01
20 yrs ago
23 viewers *
English term

-wise suffix

English Social Sciences Linguistics
Is there a proper rule to use the -wise suffix?

Must it be hyphenated, or not...?

Is it, for instance, "financialwise", "financial-wise", or "financial wise"?

I don't trust Microsoft Word's spell & grammar checker. It keeps telling me it's "financial wise", but I want to be sure.

Thanks!!

I don't know how to give you more context, as I'm translating a text from Spanish into English...
Responses
4 +11 abomination
4 +8 unwise suffix
3 +8 cannot be applied anytime one desires
Change log

Apr 22, 2005 18:42: Kim Metzger changed "Field" from "Other" to "Social Sciences"

Discussion

Non-ProZ.com Nov 30, 2004:
... I was actually wary of using it... but then I saw the issue of HOW to use it, as in how should it be written... and there you go, I asked the question :) Thanks to all!
Non-ProZ.com Nov 30, 2004:
Thanks a lot, Kim!! That was actually another part of my question (which I didn't point out), if it was OK to use such a thing, or if it was too "slangish". I see it a lot, but I don't want my translation to lack sobriety (?).

Responses

+11
1 min
Selected

abomination

Financialwise, etc. is terrible English perpetrated by native speakers, especially in the US. Much better: in terms of finances, etc.

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Note added at 3 mins (2004-11-30 20:04:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The suffix -wise forms adverbs when it attaches to adjectives or nouns. It comes from an Old English suffix -wise, which meant “in a particular direction or manner.” Thus clockwise means “in the direction that a clock goes,” and likewise means “in like manner, similarly.” For the last fifty years or so, -wise has also meant “with respect to,” as in saleswise, meaning “with respect to sales,” and taxwise, meaning “with respect to taxes.” Many people consider this usage awkward, however, and you may want to avoid it, especially in formal settings.
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C008/057.html
Peer comment(s):
agree Will Matter : the proper form is "financial-wise" but agree with Kim that it's an abomination. I would NEVER use this phrase in a professional context whether in a document or when speaking. Use "financially" or Kims suggestion.
3 mins
I thought the disease had died long ago. I don't come across it much anymore.
agree Richard Benham : Conceptwise, I agree with you. Specific case wise, I can't see why not to use "financially".
5 mins
agree Alaa Zeineldine
5 mins
agree John Bowden : Was particularly fashionable in the 60s & 70s, when people thought it made them sound "cutting edge" - I remeber my optician telling me that "contact lens prescription-wise your eyes will change from the age of 40 onwards..." - ugh!
11 mins
agree jccantrell
25 mins
agree NGK : Cf. "The Apartment" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053604/ ): "Movie-wise, there has never been anything like it - laugh-wise, love-wise, or otherwise-wise!"
27 mins
agree Klaus Herrmann : Very similar to the (ab)use of -mäßig in German
37 mins
agree Derek Gill Franßen
1 hr
disagree Peter Linton (X) : At the risk of getting shouted down by all you stuffy old grammarians, I think it is a useful and sensible enhancement to the language - crisp, meaningful, of ancient origin, and sounds OK, once we get used to it. I like -wise. Who else agrees with me?
3 hrs
agree Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 hrs
agree Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X)
13 hrs
agree Java Cafe
17 hrs
agree Jörgen Slet : "Financialwise" is ugly, but in some cases I do agree with Peter :)
2 days 17 hrs
agree Deborah Workman : I've never heard of "financialwise" though I have heard of "finances-wise". Abominations all, though I agree with Peter that some such abominations are handy.
2 days 17 hrs
disagree nordicskiwidow : I agree with you Peter. I also agree that 'financialwise' is horrible, but because 'financial' is an adjective, not a noun. Grammar-wise it's fine, but make sure you use it with a noun. Usage-wise, stick to less formal situations.
1884 days
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, everyone, for your very WISE answers ;) What an interesting debate. I love it that I get to learn more each day, thanks to all of you."
+8
3 mins

cannot be applied anytime one desires

I do not believe this is a word.
Of course, one can make up new words.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2004-11-30 20:05:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

how about \"financially speaking\"
related to finance
with respect to finance
finance-related
Peer comment(s):
agree Richard Benham : I'd rather see "any time", but I agree with the sentiment.
1 min
thanks Richard :-))))
agree Alaa Zeineldine
4 mins
thanks Alaa!
agree Will Matter : it IS used but it's both poor English and bad grammar. Alternate choice of vocabulary cannot be recommended too highly.
5 mins
the prof has spoken!
agree Derek Gill Franßen
1 hr
agree Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 hrs
agree Pawel Gromek
10 hrs
agree humbird
19 hrs
agree Jörgen Slet
2 days 17 hrs
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+8
16 mins

unwise suffix

I agree with the previous two answerers, Kim and Rita. Microsoft Word is not very bright; when it sees "financialwise", it recognizes that this "word" is not in its dictionary, but that "financial" and "wise" are. This does not mean that the authors of the spelling and grammar checker think that "I'm doing pretty well financial wise" is any better than "I'm doing pretty well financialwise"; it's just that the program is not smart enough to pick the latter abomination.

"Financially" works fine in this case. "Wise" used to be a noun meaning "manner"; so that you could say "I am in no wise able to help you". This is now archaic, of course.

I think the wisest thing to do is to avoid neologisms in "-wise"; that is, only use well-established words with the suffix, such as "clockwise", "otherwise", etc. Made-up words in "-wise" have no place in even semi-formal English. There are some rare exceptions, but it's safer to avoid them altogether.
Peer comment(s):
agree RHELLER : agree with those "down under" :-))
13 mins
Thanks.
agree Kim Metzger : In a way, the spelling issue should be irrelevant. You might find them spelled with or without a hyphen, but the best advice is not to use them unless they are standard compounds - lengthwise, penny-wise.
15 mins
Of course, in penny-wise (as in "penny-wise and pound-foolish"), it's not the suffix but the adjective. But I take your point. Suggestion: if in doubt, type the word, unhyphenated, into Word; if it accepts it, it's probably an established word.
agree Derek Gill Franßen : Yes, the term "financially" works most often and sounds better (IMHO).
1 hr
Thanks.
agree Will Matter : grammar-wise, your use of "unwise" to explain that other choices are possible and desirable (English-wise) is, IMHO, very wise, indeed. :)
1 hr
Who'd have thought otherwise...?
agree Saleh Chowdhury, Ph.D.
4 hrs
Thanks.
agree Refugio : Likewise, I'm sure.
13 hrs
agree Lisa Frideborg Eddy (X)
13 hrs
agree Jörgen Slet
2 days 17 hrs
neutral bj cunningham : Agree with style preference; however, my work is legal &/or medical and must be verbatim. So when someone says something like "How far was it distancewise?" That's what must be used. :(
1420 days
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