Filmmaker or film-maker?

According to this website, a cineaste is a filmmaker. But a search for the word "filmmaker" brings up only "film-maker". Which is it? And is there a word for this type of internal inconsistency? A leximuddle?


  • I don't understand why you think it's a muddle, @hmoorhouse907.

    Like a huge number of compounds, it started off as two words film maker. Then people became used to it, and wrote it with a hyphen film-maker. Finally, some people decided to drop the hyphen — which happens all the time.

    Personally, I don't care for the spelling filmmaker, but you're welcome to use it if you choose.

    Is there a name for all this? Yes, it's called change.

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