So capitalize The Pacific Northwest and Central Texas, but not We drove west for two hours., The States that make up The South are usually considered to be: Virginia Tennessee Arkansas Louisiana North Carolina South Carolina Mississippi Alabama Georgia Florida Texas. The state abbreviations are always the same: two letter abbreviations with uppercase letters and no periods or spaces between them. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Circling back to the "title" rule, if the headline is in sentence case and the word "region" is not the starting word of the title, "region" should be written in lowercase. MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. So, noun will be always first capital letter. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. In other words, directions can be tricky! Do you capitalize the word state when referring to a state? Drive south for five miles. My friend is a southerner. Hi, Michael. A region could also be a group of nations. Can you drive with a broken front differential? Is that an argument? It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format. But things become tricky once we get down to the details. O needs to be capitalized since it is at the beginning of the sentence, I needs to be capital, Pisces is a specific constellation so it is a proper noun, and likewise North is proper noun. For example, most people would capitalize South London because South London is a well-known part of a famous city. References to God (s) The word "god" should be capitalized if it is being used as a proper name of a monotheistic god, as in God in Christianity and Judaism. 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. Check your style guide (if applicable) for advice on specific terms. AP Style says it should be capitalized while the Chicago Style Manual says it should be lowercased. Racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and are capitalized. the Deep South. 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. But when the words are used in specific contexts, denote people belonging to a particular region, or refer to their social, political, or cultural activities, they are capitalized. In 1963, the state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one. Should north East south West be capitalized? 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. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. If youre referring to a specific location, such as the southern winds, southern should be lowercase. Are coca cola and pepsi owned by the same company? How do I connect these two faces together? When dealing with geographic terms, capitalize nouns such as "river", "lake", etc. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I live to the west of Detroit Michigan. This seems a difficult case; as this discussion at. are not capitalized when they merely denote compass direction. 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. Do you capitalize Pacific Northwest? (Most uses will be uppercase.) Please note that my close-vote reason was 'lack of reasonable signs of research'; I believe that there are differences between the 'northern Europe' example and this one. 'I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker.' When used to refer to direction and location, dont capitalize the names of directions like north, south, east, or west; however, when they appear in the names of places and regions, do capitalize these words. The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Common nouns are the names of things. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as play with), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. The sentence which is capitalized correctly is My easiest classes are Chemistry and Spanish. In general, midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. In "the eastern portion of Colorado", however, "eastern" is written in small letters since it doesn't denote people or specific culture or practice. (1) often capitalized: of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin (black Americans) (2) : of or relating to the African-American people or their culture (black literature) (a black college) (black pride) (black studies) From Merriam-Webster Dictionary Part of the definition for white Here is part of that discussion: 8.46 Regions of the world and national regions. That's when even the most exhaustive style . Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. When north, south, east, and west refer to generic directions (i.e., the points of the compass), they are not capitalized: The master bedroom is in the east wing of the mansion. 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. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. The following examples illustrate not only the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS] but also variations based on context and usage. Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. 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 rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? Titles should only be capitalized if they precede a proper name when used as part of the name. But when the term is used in a formal name, it's capitalized, as in "the Hudson River". The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate direction or general location. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. Similarly, the European Union is an assortment of multiple countries. If states is being referred to in a general manner, such as There are two senators for each state, then the word states would remain lower case. AP Style states that when referring to the names of a nation, directions should . Instead, I have compiled a partial list of things people shouldn't capitalize but commonly do anyway. In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. September 18, 2013, at 9:56 pm. If a is used, go with prime minister.). Note that exceptions based on specific regional, political, or historical contexts are inevitable and that an author's strong preference should usually be respected. 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. In other words, directions can be tricky! Posted by By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. I is always capitalized, along with all its contractions. In general, Midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. It's similar to why your name is always capitalized. Should states and territories be Capitalised? I am living in Western Downtown. Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. However, capitalization may depend on the style guide you're using. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. These are not governed entities, but they are official designations. What about capitalizing a Westerner or a Westerner? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper noun. For places names and proper names, the word "Southern" should be capitalized, but in other contexts, it is not. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? Currently, Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary capitalizes Midwesterner, Northerner, Southerner, and Westerner, while Websters New World College Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language only capitalize Midwesterner and allow northerner, southerner, and westerner to be capitalized or lowercased.7. The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. Lowercase with names of nations (southern France) unless they indicate a political division (South Korea). 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. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". This suffix makes the direction an adjective, and when it describes a specific region, it should be capitalized. 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). The seasons are not proper nouns and are therefore not normally capitalized. At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. Updated on December 22, 2018. Wotan is one of the gods in Wagner's Ring Cycle. 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. I often have to write north, west in reference to an entrance or exit, for example, the patron exited through the north turnstile. 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? Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. This is the sentence that is capitalized correctly. Direction-denoting terms such as north, south, east, west, etc. doesn't shout the need for "capitalization", it's safe to write it in lowercase. As a general thumb rule, if a particular direction (north, south, etc.) To capitalize or not quoted text after be form, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. This confusion can also be attributed to the fact that certain region names have direction names in their official names, such as "the Middle East". The main thing is to be consistent with whatever you choose. Federal or federal? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". So, if a person is from South Africa, south would be capitalized since it's the proper name of the country. There's not enough context in your example to offer any solid advice (e.g., the "north" of where? Use lowercase when referring to directions on a compass. To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? U.S. States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a short-form political affiliation. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? (There is a lot of leniency on whether to capitalize "The." Few would argue that the region is called "The North" as . Certain public figures get capitalized, but others dont. 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. Here are a few more examples: When the directional terms are not proper names and are affixed to proper nouns simply to denote direction, they are written in lowercase for example, "southern France", "northern New York", etc. Keep reading to learn everything there is to regions and their capitalization, rules for related terms and phrases, what a region is, etc. Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? When the name of a city and state are used together, the name of the state should be abbreviated (except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah). I have published a variety of other capitalization posts related to time periods, geographic features, people, and product names. This format is the official USPS postal abbreviation. Other assets have a wide range of liquidity. When we write the days of the week, we always use a capital letter. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Does Counterspell prevent from any further spells being cast on a given turn? The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. My name is Erin. And "north" in that sentence refers to a direction (i.e., where you turned), not the place (i.e., Bolton Avenue). However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? So: North Carolina is north of South Carolina and east of West Virginia. The word states would remain lower case if states is referred to in a general way, such as There are two senators for each state.. With names of states The same rule applies as with names of nations. The following sentence is capitalized correctly : I learned that Thor is the god of thunder when I read a book about myths from Norway. Todays post explains when to capitalize geographic regions in the United States. 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. Whichever version you use, then, we'd suggest not capitalizing the direction, just the country name. Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. You capitalize state only when it follows the name of the state, as in New York State is also called the Empire State, or when its part of a traditional name for a state, like Empire State or Lone Star State. When it precedes the name of the state, dont capitalize the word unless its part of a title of . Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? Have you ever visited the Western United States? So it would be best to check your style guide if you have one and to make sure whatever you choose is used consistently. 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 . South Pacific. This is known as 'title case'. When referring to Greek, Roman, and other groups of gods and goddesses, only the name is capitalized. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 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 main style guides all agree on this, although . Should southern be capitalized? When using a U.S. geographic region as an adjective, the decision to capitalize or lowercase will depend on your style guide. So, option 2 is correct. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. But because it has defined boundaries and administration, it's a "region". 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). But it would be unusual to do this for a less well-known location, such as south Coventry.. Southern, according to a co-author, should not be capitalized because it is an adjective rather than a noun. The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. 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. Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. States and territories Use initial capitals for words in the formal name. And if so, when? For example, "Global is a proper noun." . If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. You wouldnt normally unless north and south are part of a proper noun (e.g., South Africa). Everyone on the bus tour enjoyed the southern food in Tennessee. 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. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! However, they should be capitalized only in such contexts; names of compass points in sentences such as "I drove southeast for several hours" or "Have you been to any of the southwestern states?" are not capitalized. Copyright 2022 - TheContentAuthority.com, Reindeer Vs. Moose: Main Differences, How To Tell Them Apart. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. To know what other words you should capitalize, try our free title capitalization tool. 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 theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific geographical region or culture). The correct sentence is Carlotta and I love Halloween. the East, the North, the South, the West (of a country) northern, southern, eastern, western (parts of a country) By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. When proofreading or editing documents, we often find that writers are confused about when to capitalize these terms. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style?