Vahnatai

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Author	Topic: Vahnatai
Custer Bob's Big Date Member # 3151	written Friday, October 22 2004 17:27 Profile Homepage #25 A man, let's say a mercenary, from a certain part of the world is (although this is admittedly rare) a Buena Vistan mercenary, a San Franciscan mercenary, a Californian mercenary, an American mercenary, a Western mercenary -- and yet he can't concievably be a Human mercenary? I can't say I get it. I still like my theory. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 \| Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00
Kelandon Off With Their Heads Member # 4045	written Friday, October 22 2004 17:49 Profile Homepage #26 Okay, let's try this. Buena Vista is a place. It is a proper noun because it is a thing that has a name. Buena Vista is a town, not a Town, because there are many types of towns. However, there are not many types of Buena Vistas (the fact that there are many places named this does not quite work with this, but bear with me). We clear so far? Buena Vista is a proper noun because it is a name. The same applies to San Francisco, California, and America. Those are all things that have names. The West is, too: we're not just talking about a mercenary from west of somewhere; we're talking about a mercenary from the geographical location known as the West. These are names. They are proper nouns and are therefore capitalized. Now here's the kicker: proper adjectives — namely anything formed from those proper nouns — are also capitalized, at least in English. One is a Californian with a big C because California is a proper noun. One is a westerner if one is from the west side of town (unless we're talking about the Upper West Side, but bleh), but one is a Westerner if one is from the generally accepted area known as the West. The same rule that applies to proper toponyms (ie California) also applies to proper names of people (ie Francisco). One can be a Franciscan monk with a big F because Francisco was a person's name at one point. This, I suppose, also applies to resnyms (names of things), although I can't think of an example. This all hinges on the fact that these are proper adjectives, that is, adjectives formed from proper nouns. Human is not a proper noun — unless, of course, you change the political situation and it refers to a distinct nation. Then one could talk about the borders of Human lands the way that one would talk about the borders of American lands. However, that means that once one crossed the borders into Human lands, one would be in the nation of Human. Human would be the name of the country. Otherwise, one should refer to human lands with a small H. And (on a quick check) it appears that Jeff primarily used a lower case V for vahnatai throughout the Avernum Trilogy. It appears that I saw the word capitalized in ways that I thought were improper over at Drakey's site. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 \| Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00

Author

Topic: Vahnatai

Custer

Bob's Big Date

Member # 3151

written Friday, October 22 2004 17:27 Profile Homepage #25

A man, let's say a mercenary, from a certain part of the world is (although this is admittedly rare) a Buena Vistan mercenary, a San Franciscan mercenary, a Californian mercenary, an American mercenary, a Western mercenary -- and yet he can't concievably be a Human mercenary?

I can't say I get it. I still like my theory.

--------------------
The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest.

Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00

Kelandon

Off With Their Heads

Member # 4045

written Friday, October 22 2004 17:49 Profile Homepage #26

Okay, let's try this. Buena Vista is a place. It is a proper noun because it is a thing that has a name. Buena Vista is a town, not a Town, because there are many types of towns. However, there are not many types of Buena Vistas (the fact that there are many places named this does not quite work with this, but bear with me). We clear so far? Buena Vista is a proper noun because it is a name.

The same applies to San Francisco, California, and America. Those are all things that have names. The West is, too: we're not just talking about a mercenary from west of somewhere; we're talking about a mercenary from the geographical location known as the West. These are names. They are proper nouns and are therefore capitalized.

Now here's the kicker: proper adjectives — namely anything formed from those proper nouns — are also capitalized, at least in English. One is a Californian with a big C because California is a proper noun. One is a westerner if one is from the west side of town (unless we're talking about the Upper West Side, but bleh), but one is a Westerner if one is from the generally accepted area known as the West.

The same rule that applies to proper toponyms (ie California) also applies to proper names of people (ie Francisco). One can be a Franciscan monk with a big F because Francisco was a person's name at one point. This, I suppose, also applies to resnyms (names of things), although I can't think of an example.

This all hinges on the fact that these are proper adjectives, that is, adjectives formed from proper nouns. Human is not a proper noun — unless, of course, you change the political situation and it refers to a distinct nation. Then one could talk about the borders of Human lands the way that one would talk about the borders of American lands. However, that means that once one crossed the borders into Human lands, one would be in the nation of Human. Human would be the name of the country. Otherwise, one should refer to human lands with a small H.

And (on a quick check) it appears that Jeff primarily used a lower case V for vahnatai throughout the Avernum Trilogy. It appears that I saw the word capitalized in ways that I thought were improper over at Drakey's site.

--------------------
Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens.

Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me
The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever

Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00