Appendix:English capitonyms

The following are English capitonyms, words that have different meanings when they are lowercase and capitalized. Note that some definitions are not included, particularly for obscure, regional, or obsolete senses.

Etymologically unrelated

not involving personal, people- or place- names: Fiat and fiat: An automobile manufacturer and things related to arbitrary command; Lent and lent: The period before Easter, the past tense of lend; March and march: A month and an organized demonstration or journey; May and may: A month and a modal verb

involving people-group or place names: German and german: Relating to Germany or Germans, and kin; Hamlet and hamlet: A fictional character and variety of names for places or persons or a small, unincorporated community; Ionic and ionic: Relating to Ionia or a kind of column, and having or relating to ions; Mobile and mobile: A city in Alabama and the quality of being able to be transported; Mosaic and mosaic: Relating to Moses; a pattern of arranged small tiles; Nice and nice: A French city; pleasant; Oma and oma: A place in Tibet, and a grandmother; Polish and polish: Relating to Poland or its people or main language, and a substance that covers a surface with a sheen; Pole and pole: A member of this people; a rod; Ram and ram: A surname or given name and a male sheep; Reading and reading: A surname or place name and the act of absorbing written language; Rhodie and rhodie: Relating to the formerly asserted state of Rhodesia and its adherents, or a flowering shrub; Scot and scot: A Scottish person or a local tax; Scotch and scotch: The people of Scotland or their whisky, and to cut or score; Turkey and turkey: A state bridging Asia and Europe or a ground-nesting bird

involving personal names: Ares and ares: The Greek god of war (from Ἄρης (Árēs); Latin Mars) and the plural of the area measure are; Erica and erica: A given name and a plant genus; Grant and grant: A male personal name and an allowance or allotted money awarded without having to be paid back; Job and job: A Biblical figure and employment

Etymologically related

not involving personal, people- or place- names: August and august: A calendar month, and something awe-inspiring; Cancer and cancer: An astrological sign, and a disease; Catholic and catholic: A Western Christian religious group, and something universal; Divine and divine: Something related to God, and several common meanings; Titanic and titanic: Relating to giant Greek gods or a famous huge steamship named after them, and several common meanings relating to hugeness/greatness/strength or to titanium metal

involving people-group or place names: Arabic and arabic: Relating to a Semitic people or their language, and a synonym for gum arabic; Belleek and belleek: A place in Ireland, and pottery originally named therefor; Bohemian and bohemian: Related to the region of Czechia and something unconventional, casual, or nonconformist; Bostonite and bostonite: A person from a place called Boston, and a type of rock named after a place called Boston; Bourbon and bourbon: A French surname and namesake dynasty, and American whiskey whose name indirectly descends from the surname; Brandywine and brandywine: A river in the United States, and distilled spirits; Cashmere and cashmere: A region in Asia, and a breed of goat developed there, its hair, or fabric woven therefrom; Champagne and champagne: A region in France, and sparkling wine named therefor; Cheviot and cheviot: A region in Great Britain, and a breed of sheep developed there, its wool, or fabric woven therefrom; China and china: A country in Asia, and porcelain originally named therefor; Cognac and cognac: A city in France, and distilled spirits named therefor; Earth and earth: A planet and soil; English and english: Relating to England, its people, or their language, and to fancy spinning; French and french: Relating to the people of France or their main language, or to cut food or kiss using tongue; Gallic and gallic: Relating to France or Gaul, and relating to galls; Holland and holland: A country in Europe, and a fabric originally named therefor; Italic and italic: Relating to the Italian peninsula and its languages, and typeset in italics; Japan and japan: A country in Asia, and a shiny coating originally named therefor; Madeira and madeira: An island region of Portugal, and fortified wine named therefor; Madras and madras: A city in India, and a fabric originally named therefor; Mandarin and mandarin: Chinese (language), and an official; Marsala and marsala: A town on the island of Sicily, and fortified wine named therefor, or a sauce made from that wine; Mercury and mercury: The planet closest the sun, and an element, quicksilver; Mikado and mikado: The emperor of Japan, and a fabric originally named therefor; Muse and muse: Greek mythological figures or the inspiration for artists; Orient and orient: The East; to align or direct towards a certain point; Pentagon and pentagon: A government office or a geometric figure; Porto and porto: A city in Portugal, and fortified wine named therefor; Shantung and shantung: A province of China, and a silken fabric originally named therefor; Shetland and shetland: A set of Scottish islands, and a breed of sheep developed there, its wool, or fabric woven therefrom; Sherpa and sherpa: A Central Asian people group, and a mountaineering specialist; Swede and swede: A person coming from Sweden, and a round vegetable also known as rutabaga; Swiss and swiss: (A person) from Switzerland and a verb for preparing meat or fabric; Welsh and welsh: Relating to Wales or its people, and to swindle by not paying a debt

involving personal names not related to an occupation: Bill and bill: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a beak or a poster; Bismarck and bismarck: A leader, and a dessert pastry; Bob and bob: A given name and a hairstyle; Dick and dick: A given name and a jerk; Diesel and diesel: A pioneer of compression-ignition engines, and any engine of the type named for him, or the type of fuel oil that it burns; Drew and drew: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and the past tense of "draw"; Erica and erica: A given name and a plant genus; Grace and grace: A given name and goodness, charm, or dexterousness; Harry and harry: A given name and to pester or harass; Heath and heath: A given name and a plant family or a place where it grows; Heather and heather: A given name and a plant family; Jack and jack: A given name and a lifting device; John and john: A given name and a toilet; Norm and norm: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a standard; Peg and peg: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a short piece of dowel; Rich and rich: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and the wealthy; Sally and sally: A given name and a forward movement or a willow tree; Tom and tom: A given name and a male cat; Ted and ted: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and to stir half-dried hay to aid its further drying; Will and will: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and volition or a document; Zerk and zerk: A man who developed a type of grease fitting, and any grease fitting of that type

involving personal names related to an occupation: Carpenter and carpenter: A surname and one who works wood; Clark and clark: A surname and one who clerks or a cleric; Fisher and fisher: A surname and one who fishes; Joiner and joiner: A surname and one who works wood; Miller and miller: A surname and one who mills things (e.g., grain, wood); Potter and potter: A surname and one who makes pottery; Shoemaker and shoemaker: A surname and one who makes shoes; Smith and smith: A surname or one who works with metals; Taylor and tailor: A surname and personal name or one who creates and mends clothing; Turner and turner: A surname and one who shapes wood on a lathe

involving company or brand names and their genericization (descriptively widespread, irrespective of legal status of trademarks): Aspirin and aspirin: A brand of acetylsalicylic acid (in some countries), or any acetylsalicylic acid (in various other countries); Coke and coke: A popular brand of soft drink, or any soft drink (in Southern U.S.); Google and google: A popular brand of search engine, or to do a search therewith; Xerox and xerox: The company that developed xerography, or to make a copy with that process, or any copy made therewith

Etymologically unrelated

Etymologically related

See also