half-man, half-horse vs half man, half horse vs half-man and half-horse

[Alexey86]

1. A centaur is a half-man, half-horse creature.

2. A centaur is a half man, half horse creature.

3. A centaur is a half-man half-horse creature.

4. A centaur is a half man half horse creature.

5. A centaur is a half-man and half-horse creature.

6. A centaur is a half man and half horse creature.

What is(are) the correct variant(s)?

 

[PeterCW]

None are natural.

I would write the sentence below but would probably omit the "and" in speech.

A centaur is a creature that is half-man and half-horse.

 

[GoesStation]

A centaur is a creature that is half man and half horse.

The hyphens in the previous post are incorrect. "Half-man" should be hyphenated when it's a compound adjective, which occurs when it precedes the noun phrase it modifies. When the word pair follows the noun phrase, it's not a compound adjective.

[Cross-posted]

 

[jutfrank]

You don't need the article at all because 'half man' and 'half horse' are not things. Think of them like adjectives, describing what centaurs are made up of. It's no different from saying I'm half English and half Russian.

 

[Alexey86]

You don't need the article at all because 'half man' and 'half horse' are not things. Think of them like adjectives, describing what centaurs are made up of. It's no different from saying I'm half English and half Russian.

It is creature that takes the article in my examples, not the half- parts. Or, do you mean the examples would be more natural without creature?

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't even bother with "creature".

A centaur is half man, half horse.

For info, and because they don't get mentioned often, "A centauress/centauride is half woman, half horse".

 

[jutfrank]

Or, do you mean the examples would be more natural without creature?

Not exactly more 'natural', but yes, better expressed more simply, as A centaur is half man, half horse.