Capitalization in Polish Thread poster: Robert Beard (X)
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Robert Beard (X) 
Local time: 23:43
English to Spanish
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I am using SJP online dictionary and it lists company names as both capitalized an uncapitalized: capitalized when you refer to the company itself, uncapitalized when referring to a product of that company, e.g. Tuborg (company) vs. tuborg (the beer), Chanel (the company) but chanel (the perfume).
I can't check it in any other dictionary, because they don't even carry proper nouns and I can't find reference to this issue in any Polish grammar. I've taken 4 years of Polish in colleg... See more I am using SJP online dictionary and it lists company names as both capitalized an uncapitalized: capitalized when you refer to the company itself, uncapitalized when referring to a product of that company, e.g. Tuborg (company) vs. tuborg (the beer), Chanel (the company) but chanel (the perfume).
I can't check it in any other dictionary, because they don't even carry proper nouns and I can't find reference to this issue in any Polish grammar. I've taken 4 years of Polish in college and visited Poland 4 times, but that doesn't help either. Can a native speaker of Polish help me? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Adam Łobatiuk
Poland
Local time: 05:43
Member (2009)
English to Polish
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| Good reference | Aug 2, 2014 |
Hi Robert,
These links should be helpful:
http://so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629407
http://so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629431
Please note, however, that uncapitalized brand and product names are used very rarely, no matter what the rule says. Some names have become generic ... See more Hi Robert,
These links should be helpful:
http://so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629407
http://so.pwn.pl/zasady.php?id=629431
Please note, however, that uncapitalized brand and product names are used very rarely, no matter what the rule says. Some names have become generic (e.g. aspiryna, adidasy, pampersy) and in such cases they are not capitalized. But "sony" or "kodak" look very strange and most people will capitalize them.
In general, Polish capitalization rules are unnecessarily complex and I hope they get simplified one day. For example, magazine titles are all capitalized while book titles are not. This just doesn't make any sense, just like the brand name rules. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I don't think it is accurate, probably just sloppiness | Aug 3, 2014 |
All company names and proper names (except some adjectives--nationalities, for example, which are not a part of a company name) should be capitalized in Polish, regardless of their function within the sentence. (response to the original post)
[Edited at 2014-08-03 09:49 GMT]
| | | | Robert Beard (X)
Local time: 23:43
English to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks and a correction | Aug 3, 2014 |
Thanks, Adam, for the correct reply and the references to back it up.
Lilian I'm afraid you are wrong. Look at the citations from Adam's reply in the PWN.
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| Yeah, lowercase for products | Aug 5, 2014 |
Please note that whenever you see a brand capitalized, it's either in quotation marks or preceded by the word 'marki' (genitive case of 'marka', i.e. brand). Otherwise it most likely needs to be in the lowercase.
The function, not the origin, controls. Something which was originally a name but is used like a generic noun to refer to products as them themselves will be lowerce.
The use is generic enough to require the lowercase if you refer to products with their brand n... See more Please note that whenever you see a brand capitalized, it's either in quotation marks or preceded by the word 'marki' (genitive case of 'marka', i.e. brand). Otherwise it most likely needs to be in the lowercase.
The function, not the origin, controls. Something which was originally a name but is used like a generic noun to refer to products as them themselves will be lowerce.
The use is generic enough to require the lowercase if you refer to products with their brand names with no specific introduction referring to the fact that the brand name is used in the function of a brand name (such as 'marki', 'firmy' — which obviously introduce a brand or company name used as such — or even quotation marks).
An exception will be made for a class of people (unlike things) referred to in the same fashion with the actual proper name of a person (as opposed to the name of a company named after him) used in the function of a generic noun designating such people — any doubting Thomas will be capitalized in Polish too. We're supposedly 'a nation without Quislings' as well, which obviously doesn't refer to any person with that family name but only someone who acts like Vidkun Quisling did in WW2.
But if people somehow managed to be referred to with a brand name used in the function of a generic noun, then that too would be lowercase. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Beard (X)
Local time: 23:43
English to Spanish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Lukasz,
Thanks for the expanded explanation.
--RB
| | | | | Quite strange | Oct 6, 2014 |
I have never seen references to beer or perfume brands in lowercase.
This obscure rule does exist (most commonly with respect to makes of vehicles), but is universally ignored, and even language authorities have been calling for its abolition.
The nearest phenomenon in English would be the "generic trademark", also called the "proprietary eponym", but the Polish version is not restricted to trademarks, or even objects, cf. judasz, krezus, herkules, herod(-baba), hitler... See more I have never seen references to beer or perfume brands in lowercase.
This obscure rule does exist (most commonly with respect to makes of vehicles), but is universally ignored, and even language authorities have been calling for its abolition.
The nearest phenomenon in English would be the "generic trademark", also called the "proprietary eponym", but the Polish version is not restricted to trademarks, or even objects, cf. judasz, krezus, herkules, herod(-baba), hitler(ek) etc. The English version, if it is used at all (calling someone a Judas is quite uncommon), is always capitalized.
[Edited at 2014-10-06 12:22 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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