[lit-ideas] Re: Capitalism -- Revisited
- From: "ckerwan" <ckerwan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 16:47:32 -0400
You know this. **********************************
The point escapes me, although I'm sure JL Speranza can clear it up. Words
like
RP> 'major,' 'general,' 'president,' etc., are capitalized when they are
part of
RP> one's title or rank (Major Paul, General Panic) but otherwise not:
'Bush
is
RP> president,' but 'President Bush.'
----
Depends on what language (you are talking). As R. Henninge may testify,
words like those you mention are _always_ capitalised (in German and
Tamil -- and
also in Chaucer's English).
In contemporary English, it seems to depend, it seems to me, on the
_speaker_'s atittude:
(1) Queen Elizabeth II was in attendance.
-- with capital because it's attributive position. When it comes to
'predicative' position:
(2) Elizabeth is the Queen.
shows respect;
(3) Elizabeth is a queen.
shows _generality_ (cf. Geach, Reference and Generality).
Cheers,
JL
Semanticist, etc.
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