Read an article in Sky & Telescope magazine the other day. It described the Curiosity Mars Rover landing system as "Rube-Goldbergian." I'm pretty sure that's an incorrect format, especially since "Rube Goldberg" is a proper noun. I especially doubt the hyphen should be there. Alternatives ...
Rube Goldbergian
Rube Goldbergean
Rube Goldberg-like
Not sure if either the "ian" or "ean" suffix should be used. I always thought those suffixes were "reserved" for more formal uses, as in Guassian, Newtonian, Machiavellian. And I'm also unsure about why the "ian" is sometimes used and the "ean" other times (as in Pangean). Likewise the hyphenation of a proper noun when used in the form of an adjective.
Any insights appreciated. Thanks.
I agree, it looks strange. It's like saying, "Sigmund-Freudian." In my opinion, Rube Goldberg is sufficiently well known that we could simply say, "Goldbergian."
As for ian vs. ean, I researched a bit and found that you asked this same question in January and it went unanswered then. I'm not sure, but I think it has to do with the spelling of the root word. Â If it ends with an "e" you should simply add "an". Â If it ends with another vowel you should add "ean". Â If it ends with a consonant you should add "ian". Â Again, I'm not sure of this rule and I did not find it spelled out but it agrees with the words I could find. Â Whether you did so consciously or not, this was the rule you followed when you chose "northern hemispherean" in January.
Here is a link to the previous thread.
< https://waywordradio.org/discussion/topics/ean-vs-ian-suffix/
Thanks for the feedback Dick. Yes, I recall that earlier thread, and I also recall not getting any definitive answers to my question. Your explanation (basing it on the root word) is what I've been doing. And that's why I chose "hemispherean." Still waiting for confirmation on that "rule," but until I hear otherwise, I'm gonna keep doing it that way.
Not sure if "Goldbergian" would stand on it's own w/o the "Rube." How many people in younger generations even know who Rube Goldberg was? A Google of "Goldberg" gets 65 million hits, including a professional wrestler name Bill Goldberg. "Rube Goldberg" only gets 4.5 million. Apparently there's a LOT of other Goldbergs out there. But Freudian can pretty much stand on its own based on established usage.
I think we are both correct about that hyphen being misplaced. When the adjective is a collection of non-proper-nouns (like "non-proper-nouns" or "less-than-perfect"), all parts of the adjectival phrase are usually hyphenated. But it just doesn't scan when used with a first and last name as part of that phrase.
I don't like the hyphen. But I like the Rube. It doesn't strike me as significantly different from North American or New Yorker or Long Islander.
[edit: added the following]
I found a few instances of Villa-Lobosian (Villa-Lobos) and Conan Doylesque (Conan Doyle) and even D'Oyly Cartesian (D'Oyly Carte).
Also, Saint-Exuperian (Saint-Exupery).
Just a few days ago I used Escheresque.