The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The names of things are known as common nouns. The same applies for related adjectives and other compass directions: We live in the eastern part of the country. The Chicago Manual of Style. You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Here Chemistry and Spanish are the proper nouns. As an Amazon Associate, CapitalizeMyTitle.com earns from qualifying purchases. The administration's solution: Ease credit for riskier borrowers. In all cases, though, you should: Check your style guide (if applicable) for advice on specific terms. Do you capitalize north? Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. In general, Midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. To capitalize or not quoted text after be form, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. Can you drive with a broken front differential? Some common examples of when you should capitalize south include: down South the Deep South For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. When referring to regions, capitalize these words. MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. Capitalize words that are part of the formal name, but lowercase in less formal uses: he crossed the Hudson River; but: he fell into the river. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. In what contexts would I capitalize "city" and "county"? Certain public figures get capitalized, but others dont. It does not store any personal data. Hi there! I have published a variety of other capitalization posts related to time periods, geographic features, people, and product names. As explained in the post, there is no need to capitalize these words when used generically (only when they're part of a proper noun). North, east, south, and west are the four cardinal directions, often marked by the initials N, E, S, and W. East and west are at right angles to north and south. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. Once again, refer to your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize Southern when referring to the South in the United States, regardless of whether youre discussing the Civil War. A recognized geographical region. Example: "War-weary ministers in London asked themselves why they fought a costly war in the [north] when they had friends in the Carolinas and Georgia.". The first instance of when "global" should be capitalized is when used as the first word in a sentence. Do You Capitalize "Real Estate"? You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. The pronoun "I" Posted by Hi, Mary. In June 1963, the Department provided an initial list of abbreviations, but many had only three or four letters, which were still too long. doesn't shout the need for "capitalization", it's safe to write it in lowercase. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. By prevailing usage, roughly the most southerly one-third or two-fifths of California is referred to as Southern California, in initial caps. Rule 2. I am a technical writer and editor who shares writing-related software tutorials on this website and on YouTube. (I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker. Keep reading to learn everything there is to regions and their capitalization, rules for related terms and phrases, what a region is, etc. In other words, directions can be tricky! For example, most people would capitalize South London because South London is a well-known part of a famous city. Many scholars now study the global South. Q. Hello! But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize "Southern" when referring to "the South" in the United States, regardless of whether you're discussing the Civil War. Of course, they should be capitalized at the start of sentences and in titles, as they are with other nouns. Do you like West Asia? Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. However, a co-author argues that southern should not be capitalized, because it is an adjective, not a noun. In the case of prime minister, either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. Binomial nomenclature is, of course, also used for animals, including the singularly curious one designated as Homo sapiens. That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. Did the Allman Brothers Band play southern rock or Southern rock? We always use a capital letter when we write the days of the week. AP Style states that when referring to the names of a nation, directions should . Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a short-form political affiliation. In case it's not obvious, I have a bachelor's in writing. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. If these geographic areas are part of a name, however, such as "River Thames", capitalize the term. Should Southern colonies be capitalized? When referring to a specific region, you should capitalize the words East Coast such as Im traveling to the East Coast since East Coast is a proper noun in this case. 'I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker.' In other words, directions can be tricky! Characteristics. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South." If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go south on I-90," then you should keep south lowercase. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. There may be disagreement about where the border of Southern California begins, just as there was and is about the border of the Wild West, but the fact that the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Orange County, and San Diego are all located in Southern California is beyond debate. Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . When common nouns like party, river, and street are included in a proper name, capitalize them. The concept of a "region" is significant and used widely among the several geography branches, each of which could describe the areas or zones in region-based terms. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Dont capitalize the word when it precedes the states name unless its included in a states title. I studied Pisces, a constellation of the North sky, on a cloudless night. Southern, on the other hand, is capitalized by convention when it refers to California: I live in Southern California. Does the word federal need to be capitalized? But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize Southern when referring to the South in the United States, regardless of whether youre discussing the Civil War. Unless you are referring to the Four Seasons, there is no reason for seasons to . The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. Clearly, LA, OC, and SD are part of Southern California, but there are a lot of other places that are located in southern California that are not located in Southern California, such as Palm Springs, Salton Sea, Joshua Tree, Blythe, etc. Southern United States, for example, is appropriate because it is located in a specific region. Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Western States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the western winds then western should be lowercase. You can even submit asample document for free to see how our services work. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. Use lower case for generic or plural references. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. You would capitalize "Southern" when referring to the people, or their culture, politics, or social activities, e.g., Southern hospitality, Southern cuisine, Southern accents. One exception to this rule: common objects with a country or nationality as part of the name ( french fries, scotch whiskey, venetian blinds, and so forth). The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". Names of people People's names are proper nouns, and therefore should be capitalized. . Whether it's an "official" name or not and how well the thing is defined have no bearing whatsoever. Though a direction is a general noun, it could at times be not that straightforward to ascertain whether it's a common noun or a proper noun. The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. Lowercase to when it functions in an infinitive. Should southern be capitalized? But when the term is used in a formal name, it's capitalized, as in "the Hudson River". The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. are widely recognized as popular names and are thus capitalized. As noted in the post, there's no need to capitalize generic directions (only when they're part of a proper noun). If it's a name, it's a proper noun. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese. Some authorities also capitalize titles if they immediately follow the name without the word "the.". Capitalize these words when they designate regions. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. A region could also be a group of nations. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. How to Export PDF Tables from Adobe Acrobat to Excel (PC & Mac), How to Insert Images into Shapes in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Align the Periods in Numbered Lists in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Password Protect Files in Microsoft Word, How to Password Protect PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac). When used as part of a short-form political affiliation, states should also be abbreviated. the Southern States the Eastern Seaboard Northern Ireland the Western Hemisphere It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. When words like northern, southern, eastern, and western precede a place name, they are not ordinarily capitalized, because they merely indicate general location within a region. When using a U.S. geographic region as an adjective, the decision to capitalize or lowercase will depend on your style guide. Names of racial and ethnic groups are treated as proper nouns, which means they are capitalized (e.g., African American, Asian American, Black, European American, First Nations, Hispanic, Native American, Latinx, White). Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. Likewise, the rules for sentences apply: capitalize the common name at the . You should only capitalize directions, such as north, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the North.". Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. For example, Silicon Valley isn't a proprietary name or legally defined area, but it receives initial caps anyway. Unless the direction is part of the country's actual name, it remains lowercased. proofreading, Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. Be consistent (e.g., dont use south England in one part of a document and South England in another if youre referring to the same place). Have you ever wondered when its okay to capitalize north, east, south, and west? At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. South-East Albania? This suffix makes the direction an adjective, and when it describes a specific region, it should be capitalized. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(42679, '499cbd76-cfa5-4fea-836f-ead06058d874', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); North, East, South or West - Capitalize or Not? Human settlements and their impact on the physical geography, and, The communication between the environment and humanity, The precipitation is the maximum in the interior, Cattle-breeding techniques or practices could vary across, Urundi and Ruanda are fertile, healthy, high-lying, and thickly populated, This text isn't a law but an abstract of the several special usages obtained in those, She passed the Lake Amadeus and the Reynolds range in that direction but had to turn, Many scholars are now studying the global. Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. I work in marketing, and I'm wondering if lowercasing the words "off" and "under" in these headlines is correct: "50% off Body Wash" and "Gift Sets under $40.". 2 Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? Youd also capitalize the first word and (according to most guides) the last word of a title, regardless of what part of speech they are. You have entered an incorrect email address! What about capitalizing a Southerner or a Southerner? Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Western States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the western winds then western should be lowercase. Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. Actually, you should capitalize federal only when it is part of a proper noun, that is, the official name of a particular or unique person, place, or thing. Only a few signs of the zodiac are automatically capitalized (Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius, Taurus).
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