The periods are omitted in headlines. 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. But because it has defined boundaries and administration, it's a "region". To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. For places names and proper names, the word "Southern" should be capitalized, but in other contexts, it is not. Do you capitalize the word state when referring to a state? I assume CMOS have done reasonable research before arguing against a rigid insistence on 'the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS]' and have thought carefully before arguing against ignoring authors' strong preferences. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. 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. However, be consistent and do not write: "Visitors to southern California climbed while visitors to northern California fell." Should south be capitalized? 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. Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. Certain regions of California (Bay Area, Southern California, Central Coast, etc.) Some authorities also capitalize titles if they immediately follow the name without the word "the.". But when these terms are part of an actual place's name, capitalize them, as in "Western Australia", "Northern Ireland", etc. However, to, not a dash, should be used when from introduces a range of dates (from 2012 to 2013, not from 2012-13). When the word state forms the full name of a specific body, you must also capitalize it. You wouldnt normally unless north and south are part of a proper noun (e.g., South Africa). Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn't fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go north on I-90," then you should keep north lowercase. 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. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". Should north southeast and West be capitalized? She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. In general, midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. 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. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as " the Southern States ." However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. That's when even the most exhaustive style . Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. In what contexts would I capitalize "city" and "county"? In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. At the most basic level, the standard advice is to lowercase north, south, east and west when used as compass directions and to capitalize them when they are used as part of a proper noun or adjective or refer to regions or geographic areas. Capitalize common nouns such as party, river and street when they are part of a proper name. In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. The Chicago Manual of Style. The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. However, it is accepted that these are capitalized when discussing the American Civil War, for example, and, as mentioned in this article in the final Summary section, some style guides prefer north and south to always be capitalized when referring generally to these areas of the United States. The mines are in the plateaus western region. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps, Cursive Text Generator , Buscador de palabras y descifrador de palabras. 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. So, if a person is from South Africa, south would be capitalized since it's the proper name of the country. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. But in other cases, it is more a matter of convention and habit. Have you ever wondered when its okay to capitalize north, east, south, and west? The state abbreviations are always the same: two letter abbreviations with uppercase letters and no periods or spaces between them. The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the days of the week. The rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The Starved Rock Lodge offers world-famous midwestern hospitality in a scenic environment. proofreading, ), Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. The following formal names of specific degrees should always be capitalized in AP style: As you can see, master's degrees are capitalized when abbreviated. By prevailing usage, roughly the most southerly one-third or two-fifths of California is referred to as Southern California, in initial caps. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. "The South" is capitalized because it designates a definite region, e.g., "I was born and raised in the South." More answers below After all, it was named after its inventor, Edwin Southern, and therefore the use of the capital is justified. 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. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. The official USPS postal abbreviation is this format. The water and land global areas are further divided into subregions bounded by huge geographical features influencing large-scale ecologies. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? 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. Dates. Most style guides recommend capitalizing "West Coast" when referring to the western seaboard of the U.S. hi, should i capitalize 'west' in 'west Africa' or 'north' in north Africa'? Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. When there is no proper name, lowercase "mountain", "gorge", "valley", "beach", and other geographical features. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, capitalization, Chicago style, dictionaries. Updated on December 22, 2018. The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. Proper nouns are names of particular individuals, places, or things, such as Josephina, Michigan, Oreo, and United Auto Workers. And Wisconsin is known as the Badger State (not "the badger state") even though its official name is Wisconsin. Does Counterspell prevent from any further spells being cast on a given turn? To capitalize or not quoted text after be form, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! However, when giving an address, or in tables or other uses in which space is limited, use the US Postal Services symbol system, which consists of a two-letter abbreviation in which both letters are always capitalized and no periods are used (for example, NY for New York). 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. I often have to write north, west in reference to an entrance or exit, for example, the patron exited through the north turnstile. 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. 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. Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Does the word federal need to be capitalized? are widely recognized as popular names and are thus capitalized. The West Coast has beautiful scenery. Whichever version you use, then, we'd suggest not capitalizing the direction, just the country name. 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. Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. Capitalizing southern and capitalizing south have the same rules. 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. 9 Should north southeast and West be capitalized? On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. 17th ed., U of Chicago P, 2017,www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed17/part2/ch08/psec047.html. 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. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must 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). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: We also lowercase the terms when they refer to people: Butsouthernerandnorthernerarecapitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: The civil war was fought between Southerners and Northerners. Do You Capitalize "Real Estate"? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: Capitalize the first word of every sentence. The FHA insures mortgages for buyers with low credit scores and down payments as low as 3.5%. What is, In a front-wheel drive setup, theyre what transfers power to the wheels via the transmission or differential (in a rear-wheel drive setup). Drive south for five miles. 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 . In some cases, like country and city names, this is clear. Hi there! When a database has been given a proper name, capitalize that name, but do not italicize it or place it inside quote marks. Is Southern capitalized in southern states? If youre referring to a specific location, such as the western winds, western should be lowercase. 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. The following examples illustrate not only the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS] but also variations based on context and usage. For example, you would write "the Southern United States," but "the southern way of . However, if, like Northern Ireland and North Korea, the direction is part of the proper name, it should be capitalized. 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". 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.". You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Hi, James. It does not store any personal data. The state abbreviations are always in the same format: two letter abbreviations where both letters are uppercase and no periods or spaces between each letter. Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. Do you know "what is the Western Hemisphere?" Should states and territories be Capitalised? You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. For example, The hurricane move north towards the Gulf Coast. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. 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. But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. The seasons are not proper nouns and are therefore not normally capitalized. 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. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. In short, it says to capitalize northern, southern, eastern, western and related words when they refer to the PEOPLE in a region or what they DO (i.e., their political, cultural or social activities) or are part of the place name. 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). How can I find out which sectors are used by files on NTFS? For example, The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) recommends capitalization:2. Hope all that helps! However, some people also suggest capitalizing the names of: The uniting theme here is the idea of naming a well-known or well-defined region. Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. The state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations in 1963. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? 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). Dont capitalize the word when it precedes the states name unless its included in a states title. A title like this would appear as: A Guide to English: Perfecting Grammar in an Academic Paper. If the designation is widely known, the "direction" terms are capitalized for instance, "Southern California". 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. During the Civil War, Northerners and Southerners battled in twenty-three states. AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. Of course, as with other nouns, they should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles. The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. The name of a theatrical play, but this is also a conventional geographical region that would be capitalized anyway. 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? Automatically capitalize your email subjects, essay, headline, and article titles. Hello! (There is a lot of leniency on whether to capitalize "The." Few would argue that the region is called "The North" as . Otherwise, not. Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. 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. The English language has grammar and usage rules by the boatload. It's the inconsistency or the abrupt switching between capitalized letters and lowercase letters is what that puts readers off. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). When common nouns like party, river, and street are included in a proper name, capitalize them. Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. If it's a name, it's a proper noun. Canada, Western European nations and developed parts of Asia; Global Southern countries are those that are less economically developed such as nations in Africa and some parts of Asia [29 . Should southern be capitalized? Without capitalization, it could refer to anyone in the southern hemisphere, or perhaps southern England. Characteristics. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Should southern be capitalized? Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. Do You Capitalize the Word "Queen" in a Sentence? If the is used, use Prime Minister. Is Colorado in the west or the West? The plant common name has to conform to the rules of English, however, so if there's a proper noun in the common name, it must be capitalized. 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. Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: According to most style guides, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized in titles of books, articles, and songs. In the case of prime minister, either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. When Should You Capitalize Geographic Regions in the United States? 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. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. Hi, Mary. 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. Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." ), but I'd suggest not capitalizing it unless you're certain it is necessary. If a is used, go with prime minister.). For example, NY for New York, use the US Postal Services symbol system.