capitalization, maps, writing tips. Less democratic. How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. seems less related to the usual descriptivist process, more opinion-based. CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions. When you're talking about America's West Coast or the Middle East, the directional word is also part of a proper name, and it gets a capital letter. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. It does not store any personal data. AP Style says it should be capitalized while the Chicago Style Manual says it should be lowercased. However, widely known designations are capitalized: the Upper East Side, Southern California. You should only capitalize directions, such as north, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the North.". The first instance of when "global" should be capitalized is when used as the first word in a sentence. Many scholars now study the global South. 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. In general, Midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. What is the rule for state abbreviations? Filed Under: Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest). Do not capitalize them when they follow possessive pronouns such as her, his, my, our, your. The seasons arent proper nouns, so theyre not usually capitalized. The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves. Hello! Hi, Chris. Except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah, the name of a city and state should be abbreviated when they are used together. As a compass direction, south and southern are not capitalized: Capitalize each term when it is used as a proper name or as part of a proper name, and if the region . Did I miss the memo on this issue? When referring to regions, capitalize these words. As an aside, when we toured through the San Francisco Peninsula earlier this year, our guide told us that the natives generally didn't like the name 'Silicon Valley'. Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 2023 Caniry - All Rights Reserved When there is no proper name, lowercase "mountain", "gorge", "valley", "beach", and other geographical features. After all, it was named after its inventor, Edwin Southern, and therefore the use of the capital is justified. I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one. Usage guide. That means you should lowercase articles, Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. To summarize the advice above, we suggest: However, capitalization may depend on the style guide youre using. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? The question as to whether something should be considered a name or not is one of style, and as such you should adhere to the discipline of your editor, publication, or organization, or in the absence of a house style, you should adopt a suitable. For example, we capitalizenorth,south,east, andwest when the terms refer to regions or cultures: Customs in the East differ from those in the West. Capitalization For WebCT Users in Writing Classes: The "caps" icon (usually immediately before a word) indicates either that the following word ought to be capitalized (for one of the reasons listed here) or, if it is already capitalized, that it shouldn't be. Do you like West Asia? Southern, on the other hand, is capitalized by convention when it refers to California: I live in Southern California. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. However, if you are referring to a general region, such as the east coast of the United States then you should keep the words lowercase. Capitalize such words as northern, southern, eastern, and western when they refer to the people in a region or to their political, social, or cultural activities. Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? When youre talking about Americas West Coast or the Middle East, the directional word is also part of a proper name, and it gets a capital letter. Broadly speaking, a region is an area that's divided by: Geographic regions are usually depicted by their not-so-clearly defined, and at times transitory boundaries. . The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. With names of states The same rule applies as with names of nations. But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Use lower case for generic or plural references. My name is Erin. It's not a continent, nor is it a country. The sentence which is capitalized correctly is My easiest classes are Chemistry and Spanish. Guidance to capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. Hi, Lynne. Proper nouns are names of particular individuals, places, or things, such as Josephina, Michigan, Oreo, and United Auto Workers. When words like northern, southern, eastern, or western precede a place name, they arent usually capitalized because they only indicate a general location within a region. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a short-form political affiliation. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' Is Southern California capitalized AP style? But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: More answers below You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). MLA style followsThe Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. The periods are omitted in headlines. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? And Wisconsin is known as the Badger State (not "the badger state") even though its official name is Wisconsin. So the upshot of my answer is that you didn't miss the memo (or perhaps I should say The Memo) on this issue, but at the same time you didn't notice a larger phenomenon in accordance with which initial-capping Southern California is by no means a unique, inexplicable, or indefensible treatment of a regional name. Once again, refer to your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. 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). With the passage of time, some words originally derived from proper nouns have taken on a life, and authority, of their own and no longer require capitalization. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? If youre referring to the Western States, for example, youre referring to a group of proper nouns. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. Which sentence is capitalized correctly I learned that Thor? are widely recognized as popular names and are thus capitalized. For example, "western Massachusetts", "northern New Jersey". The Chicago Manual of Style. The main style guides all agree on this, although . Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. AP Style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest).1. Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 5 Free French-to-English Translation Services, Broad geographical regions (e.g., the North or the Far East), People from a specific region (e.g., Northerners, Southerners), Cultures or movements related to a region (e.g., Western philosophy). - thanks! North, South, East and West as Proper Nouns You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. Western (and Northern) blots however, were not named after inventors but were given these names in honor of . "The South" is capitalized because it designates a definite region, e.g., "I was born and raised in the South." More answers below Of course, they should be capitalized at the start of sentences and in titles, as they are with other nouns. The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. For example, we capitalize north, south, east, and west when the terms refer to regions or cultures: Customs in the East differ from those in the West. We also lowercase the terms when they refer to people: My friend is a southerner. @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. However, the Associated Press Stylebook does not recommend capitals in that case. Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest). It was first put into effect for large businesses, but it was gradually adopted as a standardized format by everyone. in the southwestern part an eastward direction These words usually do get capitalized when they describe a region of the world or of a country, but there are some exceptions. Here are directions capitalized in sentences: Words such as "southerner" and "northerner" are usually not capitalized if they denote people. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? 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. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? Generally, you do not need to capitalize the names of the seasons. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Capitalize My Title makes title capitalization easy. Terms that denote regions of the world or of a particular country are often capitalized, as are a few of the adjectives and nouns derived from such terms. @SvenYargs This is a very useful answer; I'm processing it. Before capitalizing words like east, west, north, and south, check whether you are using them as part of a proper noun or merely to refer to direction or location.Don't capitalize directions (we sailed due east) and locations (western India), but do capitalize compass points when they occur in proper nouns (North Korea, South Sudan, East Dunbartonshire, the Great Western Plains). When to capitalize North East south west? The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. 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). Direction-denoting terms such as north, south, east, west, etc. Are you captivated by capitalization? But it would be unusual to do this for a less well-known location, such as south Coventry.. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. You would capitalize "Southern" when referring to the people, or their culture, politics, or social activities, e.g., Southern hospitality, Southern cuisine, Southern accents. Regardless of what side of the debate table you are on, the different thoughts clearly illustrate how differing opinions could be on the matter, causing people to use capitalization rules the way they deem appropriate. 9 Should north southeast and West be capitalized? Names of gods are capitalized, including Allah, Vishnu, and God. Is state capitalized when referring to a specific state? Lorry Vs. Truck: Meaning And How To Use Each One, Turnip Vs. Radish: Meaning And Differences Of These Words. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. When And When Not To. Which sentence is capitalized correctly Carlotta? As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. Certain regions of California (Bay Area, Southern California, Central Coast, etc.) 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. In most forms of writings, not capitalizing direction names when they could have been capitalized doesn't bother the readers much. capitalization. South Pacific. In June 1963, the Department provided an initial list of abbreviations, but many had only three or four letters, which were still too long. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style? But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. To properly follow AP style guidelines, only use one space after a period, as opposed to the often used double-space. Of course, as with other nouns, they should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? 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). However, if you use the word southern instead of a general location, such as the southern winds, the word should be lowercase. "I" is always capitalized, along with all its . I have published a variety of other capitalization posts related to time periods, geographic features, people, and product names. Erin Wright, 20122023. Proper nouns include the specific names of people, places, and things. The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The name of a theatrical play, but this is also a conventional geographical region that would be capitalized anyway. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Southern States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the southern winds then southern should be lowercase. 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. Along with the proper nouns listed in the table above, you should also always capitalize: the first word after a colon when what follows the colon is an independent clause, most nouns when they are followed by numerals or letters (e.g., Table 1, Figure 2, Panel A; see section 4.17), and. Which sentence is capitalized correctly on a cloudless night? Proper nouns should always be capitalized. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. The United Kingdom, for instance, is a region that comprises four countries: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. Otherwise, not. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". 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. doesn't shout the need for "capitalization", it's safe to write it in lowercase. Unless the direction is part of the country's actual name, it remains lowercased. Colorado is part of the Southwest. 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. But because it has defined boundaries and administration, it's a "region". The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". You can even submit asample document for free to see how our services work. Except for England, the other three countries have their own parliaments. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. The sentence reads "I turned on north Bolton." We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. Similarly, the European Union is an assortment of multiple countries. Is "Southern California" considered a proper noun? editing, The word god is generally not capitalized if it is used to refer to the generic idea of a deity, nor is it capitalized when it refers to multiple gods. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. Without capitalization, it could refer to anyone in the southern hemisphere, or perhaps southern England. Rule 2. When did they standardize state abbreviations? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There's not enough context in your example to offer any solid advice (e.g., the "north" of where? In other words, when the word "region" is a part of a name or is being specific in its meaning, the word is capitalized. The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) suggests lowercasing terms like midwesterner, northerner, southerner, and westerner, except when referencing the Civil War, in which case Northerner and Southerner should be capitalized:6. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: Capitalize the first word of every sentence. Consistency is the most important thing, though, so you should be fine as long as the form chosen is clear and you use it each time. 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.". Do you capitalize the word state when referring to a state? Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Capitalizing western and capitalizing west have the same rules. (Cap or no cap on east and west). NOTE: Within certain regions it is not uncommon for many who live there to capitalize the adjective because of the special importance they attach to the regional designation. Capitalize such words as northern, southern, eastern, and western when they refer to the people in a region or to their political, social, or cultural activities. For instance, the term "ecoregion" is used commonly in environmental geography, "bioregion" in biogeography, etc. Use the US Postal Services symbol system, which is a two-letter abbreviation that consists of a two-letter abbreviation in which both letters are capitalized and no periods are used when giving an address or in tables or other uses where space is limited. Federal or federal? The basic guidelines for using capital letters in English appear simple enough: Capitalize the first word in a sentence. Should north southeast and West be capitalized? The main thing is to be consistent with whatever you choose. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Capitalizing southern and capitalizing south have the same rules. You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate direction or general location. Explanation: Because Pisces is a verb. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. When using a U.S. geographic region as an adjective, the decision to capitalize or lowercase will depend on your style guide. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. When did states go to 2 letter abbreviations? The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) has a useful and detailed discussion of this issue. When proofreading or editing documents, we often find that writers are confused about when to capitalize these terms. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. The direction word makes it a proper noun. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. 5 Should states and territories be Capitalised? That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. However, a co-author argues that southern should not be capitalized, because it is an adjective, not a noun. The difference between the phonemes /p/ and /b/ in Japanese. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. In domains such as ecology, physical geography, environmental geography, and zoogeography, regions are typically based on ecosystems, biomes, natural regions, drainage basins, soil types, mountain ranges, and other natural features. . Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. Some authorities also capitalize titles if they immediately follow the name without the word "the.". You should only capitalize directions, such as north, south, east, and west, when you are referring to the direction as a proper noun, such as in the South or up North. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as go south on I-90, then you should keep the direction lowercase. The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. Likewise, capitalize terms such as "Native American," "Hispanic," and so on. Duck Vs. Loon: How Are These Words Connected? To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. In your first paragraph after the caption you make a good comparison between Wild West and Southern California, but I'm still troubled by a couple of issues. Capitalizing the Word States If a writer refers to the United States and refers to it only as the States, states must be capitalized. Rule 1. In headlines, the periods are omitted. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go south on I-90," then you should keep south lowercase. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. Is it Southern or Southern? Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. Capitalize such words as northern, southern, eastern, and western when they refer to the people in a region or to their political, social, or cultural activities. Capitalizing "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific geographical region or culture). These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. Should southern be capitalized? Here are a few sentences with the word "region" in them: If part of a title or headline, the word "region" can be capitalized to conform to title capitalization rules. (I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker. Characteristics. I live to the west of Detroit Michigan. However, the forms bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree and master's are acceptable as general terms. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. Besides the global continents, there are also atmospheric and hydrospheric regions that encompass the oceans, discrete climates, or environments above the water and landmasses of earth. Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. The rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. If you are merely referring to a . Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". However, a co-author argues that southern should not be capitalized, because it is an adjective, not a noun. Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. Here are some rules to follow. AP Style states that when referring to the names of a nation, directions should . Is summer a good time? It's similar to why your name is always capitalized. Unless they are actually part of the place name, directions dont need to be capitalized, but this depends on personal preference (e.g., if it might make this clearer to the reader) and whether its specified by a style guide. Southern United States, for example, is appropriate because it is located in a specific region.
should southern be capitalized
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