Capitonym
Encyclopedia
A capitonym is a word that changes its meaning (and sometimes pronunciation) when it is capitalized, and usually applies to capitalization due to proper noun
s or eponym
s. It is a portmanteau of the word capital with the suffix -onym
. A capitonym is a form of homograph
and – when the two forms are pronounced differently – also of heteronym
. In situations where both words should be capitalized (such as the beginning of a sentence), there will be nothing to distinguish between them except the context in which they are used.
Although some pairs, such as march and March, are completely unrelated, in other cases, such as august and catholic, the capitalized form is a name that is etymologically related to the uncapitalized form. For example, August derives from the name of Imperator Augustus, who named himself after the word augustus, whence English august came. Likewise, both Catholic and catholic derive from a Greek adjective meaning "universal".
Capital letters may be used to differentiate between a set of objects, and a particular example of that object. For instance in Astronomical terminology a distinction may be drawn between a moon
, any natural satellite, and the Moon
, to be specific the natural satellite of Earth. Likewise, Sun
with a capital may be used to emphasise that the sun of Earth is under discussion.
The word god/God is often capitalised when referring to the single God of the Christian, Jewish, or Islamic faith. Other distinctions made include church (meaning a building) and Church (meaning an organization or group of people), and the liturgical Mass, versus the physical mass.
As political parties are often named after philosophies, a capital letter is used to differentiate between a supporter of the philosophy, and a supporter of the party, for instance Liberal, a supporter of any Liberal Party
, and liberal, a supporter of the philosophy of liberalism
. In Australia and Canada, where the parties known as the "Liberal
Party
" are not philosophically liberal, adherents of liberalism are sometimes said to be "small-l liberals" to differentiate. Similar examples are conservative
/Conservative, democrat
/Democrat, libertarian
/Libertarian, republican
/Republican, socialist
/Socialist
, and a supporter of labour
/Labour.
s are capitalized, there are many pairs such as Laut (sound) ~ laut (loud) or Morgen (morning) ~ morgen (tomorrow). In contrast, in Italian, as well as Spanish, very few words (except proper names) are capitalized, so there are extremely few, if any, such pairs. (An example is Messa (Mass) ~ messa (feminine past participle of mettere = to put), though the former is sometimes spelled with a lowercase m too.)
The following list includes only "dictionary words". Personal names (Mark/mark), place-names (China/china), company names (Fiat/fiat), names of publications (Time/time) etc. are all excluded as too numerous to list. Adjectives derived from placenames (e.g. Italic/italic) are allowed. Pairs in which one word is simply a secondary meaning of the other – e.g. Masonry (secret society), which is in essence a peculiar use of the word masonry (wall building) – are omitted.
Job's Job
In August, an august patriarch
Was reading an ad in Reading, Mass
.
Long-suffering Job secured a job
To polish piles of Polish brass.
Herb's Herbs
An herb store owner, name of Herb,
Moved to a rainier Mount Rainier
.
It would have been so nice in Nice
,
And even tangier in Tangier
.
Proper noun
A proper noun or proper name is a noun representing a unique entity , as distinguished from a common noun, which represents a class of entities —for example, city, planet, person or corporation)...
s or eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
s. It is a portmanteau of the word capital with the suffix -onym
-onym
The suffix onym, in English and other languages, means "word, name," and words ending in onym refer to a specified kind of name or word, most of which are classical compounds. For example, an acronym is a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts...
. A capitonym is a form of homograph
Homonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
and – when the two forms are pronounced differently – also of heteronym
Homonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
. In situations where both words should be capitalized (such as the beginning of a sentence), there will be nothing to distinguish between them except the context in which they are used.
Although some pairs, such as march and March, are completely unrelated, in other cases, such as august and catholic, the capitalized form is a name that is etymologically related to the uncapitalized form. For example, August derives from the name of Imperator Augustus, who named himself after the word augustus, whence English august came. Likewise, both Catholic and catholic derive from a Greek adjective meaning "universal".
Capital letters may be used to differentiate between a set of objects, and a particular example of that object. For instance in Astronomical terminology a distinction may be drawn between a moon
Natural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
, any natural satellite, and the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, to be specific the natural satellite of Earth. Likewise, Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
with a capital may be used to emphasise that the sun of Earth is under discussion.
Philosophical, religious, and political terminology
A particular example of where capitonyms are prominent is in terminology relating to philosophy, religion, and politics. Capitalised words are often used to differentiate a philosophical concept from how the concept is referred to in everyday life, or to demonstrate respect for an entity or institution.The word god/God is often capitalised when referring to the single God of the Christian, Jewish, or Islamic faith. Other distinctions made include church (meaning a building) and Church (meaning an organization or group of people), and the liturgical Mass, versus the physical mass.
As political parties are often named after philosophies, a capital letter is used to differentiate between a supporter of the philosophy, and a supporter of the party, for instance Liberal, a supporter of any Liberal Party
Liberal Party
Liberal Party is the name for dozens of political parties around the world. Liberal parties can be center-left, centrist, or center-right depending on their location...
, and liberal, a supporter of the philosophy of liberalism
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
. In Australia and Canada, where the parties known as the "Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
" are not philosophically liberal, adherents of liberalism are sometimes said to be "small-l liberals" to differentiate. Similar examples are conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
/Conservative, democrat
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
/Democrat, libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
/Libertarian, republican
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
/Republican, socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
/Socialist
Socialist party (disambiguation)
Socialist Party is the name of several different political parties around the world.Socialist Party may also refer to:- Left :* Party of the Unified Socialist Left* Socialist Left Party * Socialist Left Party - Republican :...
, and a supporter of labour
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
/Labour.
Other languages
In other languages there are more, or fewer, of these pairs depending on that language's capitalization rules. For example, in German, where all nounNoun
In linguistics, a noun is a member of a large, open lexical category whose members can occur as the main word in the subject of a clause, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition .Lexical categories are defined in terms of how their members combine with other kinds of...
s are capitalized, there are many pairs such as Laut (sound) ~ laut (loud) or Morgen (morning) ~ morgen (tomorrow). In contrast, in Italian, as well as Spanish, very few words (except proper names) are capitalized, so there are extremely few, if any, such pairs. (An example is Messa (Mass) ~ messa (feminine past participle of mettere = to put), though the former is sometimes spelled with a lowercase m too.)
The following list includes only "dictionary words". Personal names (Mark/mark), place-names (China/china), company names (Fiat/fiat), names of publications (Time/time) etc. are all excluded as too numerous to list. Adjectives derived from placenames (e.g. Italic/italic) are allowed. Pairs in which one word is simply a secondary meaning of the other – e.g. Masonry (secret society), which is in essence a peculiar use of the word masonry (wall building) – are omitted.
List of capitonyms
| Capitalised word | Lowercase word | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine: of or relating to the Alps Alps The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west.... |
alpine: (adj.) relating to high mountains; living or growing in high mountains; (n.) an alpine plant | |
| Arabic: of or relating to the Arabic language Arabic language Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book... or Arabic literature |
arabic: (gum) arabic Gum arabic 220px|thumb|right|Acacia gumGum arabic, also known as acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska, is a natural gum made of hardened sap taken from two species of the acacia tree; Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal... , also called gum acacia, a food ingredient, arabic numbers (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) |
The so-called "arabic" numbers are really from India, but it was the Arabs who brought them to Europe. |
| Ares Ares Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and... : god of war |
are ARE Are, ARE or Åre may refer to: United Arab Emirates using ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code*The second-person singular and plural forms of the verb "to be", copula of the English language... s: plural of are, a metric unit of area |
different pronunciations |
| August: the eighth month of the year | august: majestic or venerable | different pronunciations |
| Boxing (Day) Boxing Day Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as... : 26 December |
boxing Boxing Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds... : a sport |
|
| Calorie Calorie The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule... : a kilogram-calorie (Cal) |
calorie Calorie The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule... : a gram-calorie (cal) |
A practice advocated by some, and not widely followed. The use of the terms 'small calorie' and 'large calorie' or 'gram calorie' and 'kilogram calorie' eliminates any potential confusion. Food product labeling, which often uses Calorie in an ambiguous capitalization, generally refers to kilogram-calories. |
| Cancer Cancer (disambiguation) Cancer is a class of diseases.Cancer may also refer to:* Cancer * Cancer , the constellation Cancer in Chinese astronomy* Cancer , an astrological sign* Cancer , a genus of crab... : 1. a constellation Cancer (constellation) Cancer is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for crab and it is commonly represented as such. Its symbol is . Cancer is small and its stars are faint... and astrological Cancer (astrology) Cancer is the fourth astrological sign in the Zodiac. It is considered a water sign and one of four cardinal signs. Cancer is ruled by the Moon. Individuals born when the Sun is in this sign are considered Cancerian individuals... sign. 2. a genus of crab Cancer (genus) Cancer is a genus of marine crabs in the family Cancridae. It includes 8 extant species and 3 extinct species, including familiar crabs of the littoral zone, such as the European edible crab , the Jonah crab and the red rock crab... . |
cancer Cancer Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the... : a class of diseases. |
|
| Catholic: relating to the Catholic Church (usually the Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity... ) (adj.); a member of that church (noun) |
catholic: free of provincial prejudices or attachments; universal | |
| Celt Celt The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria.... : (/kɛlt/ or /sɛlt/) a person from an ethnic group using a Celtic language |
celt: (/sɛlt/) a prehistoric axe | |
| Cuban: from Cuba Cuba The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city... |
cuban: relating to cubes, as in cuban prime (rare technical use) | |
| Divine: relating to God | divine: to discover by intuition or insight; to locate water, minerals, etc. | The capitalized form usually means transcendent, holy, or relating to God, but when lowercased, the word can take either meaning. "The Divine" usually means "God" in particular. |
| Earth: a planet | earth: the dry land of this planet | |
| Gallic: relating to France or to the ancient territory of Gaul Gaul Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of... |
gallic: relating to galls (abnormal plant growths) | |
| German: from Germany | german: close (relative) | |
| God: "the supreme or ultimate reality" (Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary) | god: "a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship" (ibidem) | Many languages capitalize the word for god/God, when it means the Jewish/Christian/Islamic god/God, but lowercase it when it means a god of another religion. Since German capitalizes all nouns, the German word "Gott" is always capitalized, no matter what religion the god belongs to. The same is valid for the word "Göttin" (goddess), which is almost always lowercased in other languages. In the Soviet Union, it was forbidden to write God with an upper-case letter, making impossible this manner of distinguishing God (the being believed to create and rule the universe) from god (one of beings believed to control some part of the universe).http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1972/nov-dec/clark.html |
| He: pronoun for God | he: pronoun for a male | People normally capitalize pronouns that refer to God. One would write "This is His word" or "We thought we saw Him" and if one is quoting God, "my" and "mine" can be capitalized, which would not be done when a normal person speaks. |
| Ionic: relating to Ionia Ionia Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements... or to a style of classical architecture Ionic order The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian... |
ionic: relating to (chemical) ion Ion An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a... s |
|
| Italic: of, or relating to Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
italic Italic type In typography, italic type is a cursive typeface based on a stylized form of calligraphic handwriting. Owing to the influence from calligraphy, such typefaces often slant slightly to the right. Different glyph shapes from roman type are also usually used—another influence from calligraphy... : pertaining to a sloping typeface or font |
|
| Job Job (Biblical figure) Job is the central character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Job is listed as a prophet of God in the Qur'an.- Book of Job :The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously... : subject of a book of the Bible Bible The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations... |
job: a form of employment Employment Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :... |
different pronunciations |
| Lent Lent In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and... : the period between Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday, in the calendar of Western Christianity, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter... and Easter Easter Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday... |
lent: past tense and participle of to lend | |
| Libertarian: a member of the Libertarian Party | libertarian: an adherent of a libertarian ideology | |
| Lesbian: The demonym for Lesbos. | lesbian: a female homosexual (noun) or (adjective) pertaining to lesbians or their relationships. | |
| March: the third month of the year | march: to walk briskly and rhythmically | |
| Mass Mass (liturgy) "Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and... : a liturgical function |
mass Mass Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:... : a physical property of matter |
|
| May: the fifth month of the year | may: modal verb | |
| Mercury: a planet; the messenger god of the Romans | mercury: chemical element number 80 (symbol Hg) | |
| Mosaic: pertaining to Moses Moses Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed... |
mosaic: a kind of decoration | |
| Nice: a location in France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
nice: pleasant | different pronunciations |
| Pole: a Polish person | pole: a long thin cylindrical object; various other meanings | |
| Polish: (ˈpoʊlɪʃ) from Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
polish: (/ˈpɒlɪʃ/) to create a shiny surface by rubbing (verb); a compound used in that process (noun) | different pronunciations |
| Providence: the guardianship and control exercised by a deity, also a city Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region... in Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
providence: provident or prudent managing of resources; foresight | |
| Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... : the county town of Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and... , England, or any one of 17 populated areas in the United States named after it |
reading: gerund or present participle of the verb to read, meaning to decode text or other signals. | different pronunciations |
| Scot: a native of Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
scot: a payment, charge, assessment, or tax | |
| Scotch: from or relating to Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
scotch: to put an end to (especially rumours) | |
| She: feminine singular pronoun used when referring to my wife Wife A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:... |
she: corresponding pronoun for some other woman Woman A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent... |
|
| Swede: a person from Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
swede: a vegetable (Brassica napobrassica), also known as rutabaga Rutabaga The rutabaga, swede , turnip or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip; see Triangle of U... |
|
| Tangier Tangier Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel... : City in Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
tangier: comparative of adjective "tangy". | Tangier is pronounced with dʒ, tangier pronounced with ŋ. |
| Tradition Sacred Tradition Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a theological term used in some Christian traditions, primarily in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, to refer to the fundamental basis of church authority.... (also Sacred Tradition): in some Christian Christian A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament... churches, part of the "deposit of faith" |
tradition: custom passed down within a family or other cultural group | |
| Truth: Absolute reality | truth: a wise saying, proverb, or maxim | |
| Turkey: a country in the Middle East | turkey: a bird, often raised for food | |
| Welsh: from or relating to Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
welsh: to renege (on an agreement) | The verb welsh (also spelt welch) is of unknown etymology but is often described as deriving from the adjective Welsh and consequently perceived as insulting to people from Wales, although there is no direct evidence of the connection, nor any popular perception that people from Wales do not comply with agreements. |
| Western: relating to Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... an culture |
western: of the west or relating to western films or television programs |
Examples in poems
The following poems, of unknown origin, are examples of the use of capitonyms:Job's Job
In August, an august patriarch
Was reading an ad in Reading, Mass
Reading, Massachusetts
Reading is an affluent town situated in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, some north of central Boston. The population was 24,747 at the 2010 census.-Settlement and Independence:...
.
Long-suffering Job secured a job
To polish piles of Polish brass.
Herb's Herbs
An herb store owner, name of Herb,
Moved to a rainier Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
.
It would have been so nice in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
,
And even tangier in Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
.