A proper noun or proper name is a capitalized noun representing a unique entity as opposed to a common noun, which represents a class of entities or nonunique instances of that class.
35
votes
6answers
2k views
When did it become correct to add an “s” to a singular possessive already ending in “‑s”?
According to my grammar book, but at variance to the answer to this question, the correct singular possessive if a word ends in ‑s is:
James’s car
The grammar book allows exceptions for ...
26
votes
3answers
1k views
Why we capitalize all race names but our own
This question about alien species and planets brought up something I've been thinking about on and off for years.
We capitalize names of alien races like Vulcan, Timelord, Cylon (well, maybe not ...
22
votes
2answers
3k views
How do you capitalize a proper noun such as “iPhone”?
I was always taught to capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence, and also the first letter of proper nouns. In the last few years it's been common for certain firms to name their ...
21
votes
5answers
2k views
How do you spell Muammar Qaddafi?
This name, which is spelled القذافي in Arabic, is spelled in so many different ways in the Latin alphabet:
Gadafi, Gadaffi, Gaddafi, Gaddaffi, Gadhafi, Gadhaffi, Ghadafi, Ghadaffi, Ghaddafi, ...
20
votes
6answers
6k views
Why is the “ph” pronounced like a “v” in “Stephen”? Is this the only word like that?
While I know how my name is pronounced, I've run into many non-native english speakers who have stumbled over this unique exception to English. Even in the female name, "Stephanie", the ph is ...
19
votes
10answers
4k views
About definite article before “Earth”, “Moon” and “Sun”
In what cases do we have to put the definite article the before each of these words:
Sun
Moon
Earth
and in what cases do we not need to?
18
votes
2answers
1k views
Etymology for Mc and O' in names
There is clearly a prefix in names like McDonald, McChrystal, O'Brian, O'Neal
What does this Mc and O signify? Looks like Donald, Chrystal, Brian, Neal are perfectly fine names on their own so why is ...
17
votes
5answers
1k views
How do I pluralize a name ending in “y”?
Frequently when I refer to or address a family, I do so by pluralizing their last name, e.g., The Smiths, or The Ramones. But suppose I want to address a family whose last name ends in a "y", e.g., ...
17
votes
3answers
5k views
Should “Hell” be capitalized?
I am of the belief that Hell should be capitalized because real or not, it is the name of a place, and thus a proper noun. It should be capitalized correct?
I have seen it written without ...
17
votes
5answers
752 views
How to handle a name that includes an exclamation point (or other punctuation)?
Certain brands, such as Yahoo!, insist that the exclamation is part of their name. In writing about such a brand or company, is the inclusion of the vanity punctuation right, wrong, or optional?
I ...
16
votes
4answers
3k views
Why are days of the week proper nouns?
Is there any particular reason why days of the week are proper nouns?
15
votes
5answers
2k views
Why are the United States often referred to as America?
People often refer to the country US as America and to the people from the US as Americans.
As far as I know, that's the only case in the world where a continent's name is used for a country's name ...
13
votes
6answers
5k views
Where should the comma be placed in the salutation of a letter?
Sometimes I see a comma after the proper name:
Hello Mr. Black,
In order to give you....
But my native language is not English and I think that the comma in this phrase should be placed ...
13
votes
2answers
737 views
Family name pluralization
When pluralizing family (last) names that also happen to be common English words, does the pluralization follow the same rules as the common word?
For example, "the Smith family" can be pluralized as ...
12
votes
4answers
4k views
Why does Germany's English name differ from its German name?
Germany in German is Deutschland and the language is Deutsch. I'm used to words being anglicized, but why is there a complete replacement in this case?
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Use of definite article before phrases like Heathrow Airport, Hyde Park, Waterloo Station, Edgware Road and Parliament Square
In this related question (Definite article with proper nouns, titles followed by a common noun), the OP asks if it is grammatical to use the definite article before phrases like Advanced programming ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
How would you spell “Tehran” in English for it to be pronounced “correctly” (i.e. as in Persian)?
Native English speakers do not pronounce the h in Tehran so it is pronounced like "Teran". But in the original pronunciation in Persian the h is pronounced, resulting in /tehˈɾɒːn/.
Is there any ...
11
votes
3answers
934 views
Does the abbreviation for Saint in a church name require a period?
In referring to a local church, does the name "St Giles" require a period after the "St"? I was told that to add a period confuses it with the abbreviation for street.
11
votes
3answers
717 views
Is the game, “go,” a proper noun? What about “checkers” or “chess”?
The game of Go is...
or
The game of go is...
Apparently the International Go Federation capitalizes it. Its dictionary entry doesn't appear to be (from what I have seen). It seems to fit ...
11
votes
3answers
464 views
What is the first recorded appearance of the mistranslation “Red Square”?
Does anybody know when the mistranslation "Red Square" made its first recorded appearance? Have there been any noteworthy attempts at establishing the correct translation "Beautiful Square" at some ...
11
votes
2answers
6k views
What is the difference between 'Muslim" and 'Islamic'?
I have seen 'Muslim' and 'Islamic' both used as adjectives to describe things relating to Islam. Is there a nuanced difference between the two words?
I know that 'Muslim' can also be used as a noun, ...
10
votes
4answers
843 views
Why did Obama use “a” in “… to hear a King proclaim that …”
From Obama's second inaugural speech:
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
Is “Thank god”, as opposed to “Thank God”, acceptable?
People are quite stingy lately about anything with religious connotations, so I'm worried that the phrase "thank God" might tick some people off.
Is "thank god" acceptable? Would that offend people ...
10
votes
2answers
801 views
When referring to a specific war (or other named event), should the word “war” be capitalized when it appears alone?
The Cold War instilled a fear of nuclear war in the public; additionally, the [war] was responsible for an extreme anti-Communist sentiment that lingers to this day.
Should the bracketed instance ...
10
votes
3answers
526 views
Why are nouns sometimes pejorative when used attributively?
Certain nouns can often be used as noun adjuncts in place of a corresponding adjective, with no change in literal meaning, where:
The noun is not pejorative when used nominatively by itself.
Nor is ...
9
votes
4answers
754 views
What does the most common usage of 'Korea' mean in modern-day English-speaking world?
On Meta.Travel.SE, we have a debate whether our 'Korea' tag should be mapped to 'South Korea'. One of the answers - from the moderator who made the synonym mapping - is that common usage of the word ...
9
votes
3answers
432 views
Is it grammatically correct to use “baby” as a proper noun
A lot of baby books and products use the word baby as you would a proper noun.
For example "when lying baby down in the cot" instead of "when lying your baby down in the cot". Another example from a ...
9
votes
5answers
850 views
When did presidents start using their middle initial (e.g. JFK)? Was that common of the general population?
For example John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson (and hence JFK, FDR, LBJ).
How did this styling originate?
It seems to have ended with Nixon. I don't when it started, but there ...
8
votes
3answers
354 views
Capitalization of “Internet” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should the words “internet” and “web” be capitalized?
For the most part Internet is capitalized, less frequently it occurs uncapitalized. Is ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Is “Mecca” capitalized when used figuratively?
Waleed made his pilgrimage to Mecca.
This is a given.
But I would write:
Bombay is India’s entertainment mecca
Is this correct, or is Mecca capitalized in its figurative use, as well?
8
votes
2answers
597 views
Capitalising the definite article in names
When I was a youngster some mumble-mumble-mumble decades ago, I was taught that, in the instances of names of persons, places, and things which carried the definite article the, the article wasn’t ...
8
votes
1answer
827 views
Definite article with proper nouns, titles followed by a common noun
Over time I developed this rule where if a title or a proper name is followed by a common noun that represents the class of the entity I am referring to, then I use the definite article. In Example 1, ...
7
votes
3answers
219 views
Why isn't “ecliptic” a proper noun?
Why isn't ecliptic a proper noun? There is only one, and it has a name.
Example (context):
... the true Sun is not always exactly on the ecliptic for a hypothetical observer at Earth's center, ...
7
votes
2answers
367 views
How do I perform presidential proper noun declension?
I'm unfamiliar with how one approaches the declension of proper nouns, especially as it pertains to presidents, e.g., Jeffersonian. I suspect it's kind of a black art. I need to do this with Coolidge ...
6
votes
2answers
266 views
Why is “a” necessary before “Mr. X” and “Mrs. Y”?
There is the following sentence in the scene a reputed lawyer, Thomas Cohen gives advice to 16-year old client William Kane, the son of deceased bank owner on the issue of inheritance of his father’s ...
6
votes
3answers
9k views
Does one capitalize “communism” and “communist”?
Suppose I have the following sentence:
I lived in a communist country during the fall of communism in 1989.
Should "communist" and "communism" be capitalized?
6
votes
3answers
864 views
Capitalization: when does a phrase become a proper noun?
This is a question on capitalization. Proper nouns are capitalized. But how can I tell which parts of a term constitute a proper noun?
Take, for example, the nickname for traveler's diarrhea (sorry, ...
5
votes
7answers
2k views
Can I say “Do you have a facebook”?
Can I say "Do you have a facebook" to ask if someone has "a Facebook account"? I know it is not grammatically correct. I just wanted to know if people say that or not.
5
votes
5answers
5k views
What do the American nicknames 'Dutch' and 'T-Bone' mean?
Does the nickname Dutch have any significance? I know it was Reagan's, and I'm sure I've come across it in other books/films.
Also T-Bone, as in T-Bone Walker, T-Bone Burnett: what does that mean? (I ...
5
votes
8answers
695 views
Should Philip have P. or Ph. as an initial?
In the context of scientific articles and technical white papers, references to other publications typically include the author’s surname with, depending on the format of the specific publication, ...
5
votes
4answers
316 views
Why is “Rosen Plevneliev” pronounced with a /z/?
As I have told you in my previous question, I have heard the CBS news about the Bulgarian president visiting the US here. I don't know why, but the way the reporter has pronounced his name makes me ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What does “Clyst” mean?
I live in the south west of England and there are many villages and roads that feature the word "Clyst". For example, Broadclyst, Clyst St Mary, Clyst Honiton and so on.
What does clyst mean, and ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Why there is “the” before some names but not others
Is there a rule beyond the common "no the with proper nouns and names" for the following problem?
I saw the Empire State Building.
We went to the White House.
We saw the Golden Gate ...
5
votes
1answer
25k views
What does “instagram” mean?
I'm talking about the name of the popular internet photograph service. I guess the first part of the word (insta) means instant, but I couldn't figure out what it means when it's colligated with gram. ...
5
votes
2answers
429 views
Why is New York City also called “the Big Apple”?
I have heard many times people say the Big Apple to mean New York City.
What is the origin of this nickname?
5
votes
3answers
306 views
Are there diagnostic tests to distinguish between proper and common nouns?
I'm looking for some fill in the blank type questions that if one were to fill in the blank and it sounded right to a fluent speaker, then it would have to be a proper noun, (or it would have to be a ...
4
votes
3answers
401 views
Words based on the names of gods [closed]
While the word christen means "to baptise" or "to make Christian", in another sense, it has shed its religious connotations to simply mean "to name" or even "use for the first time". Is there any ...
4
votes
5answers
351 views
Accurate British English term for an oblong deck from shore out into a lake where you tie your rowing boat
This is a typical image of the structure in question:
There are also some variations, shown in this Google image search.
But I'm after the often not very wide, some 20-30 feet long wood ...
4
votes
2answers
495 views
Why does “The Punisher” get an article in his name and “Spiderman” doesn't?
Why not
Punisher vs. The Spider-man
?
Is the word "the" used however we feel like? Could I call them "Punisher" and "The Spider-man"?
4
votes
6answers
784 views
City names with articles
Typically we don't use articles with city names, e.g. "Seattle" and not "the Seattle." I know at least one exception though which is The Hague. Are there any other city names which we use with the ...
