5 ms·
Could someone please explain to a non-English speaker why is it considered correct (in non-religious context, as many of the commenters here do) to write "the b
by kozak 7y ago
Could someone please explain to a non-English speaker why is it considered correct (in non-religious context, as many of the commenters here do) to write "the bible" instead of "the Bible" and "new testament" instead of "New Testament"? Aren't they proper names of the books? We don't say "the art of computer programming" instead of "The Art of Computer Programming" when we reference Donald Knuth's book, do we? Looks like there is some English language rule that I don't understand.
- ithkuil 7y agoEnglish also has a specific convention for spelling titles: https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/capital_letters_title_case.htm https://www.grammar-monster.com/lessons/capital_letters_titl...
- hu3 7y agoThat link says the correct form is The Bible: > Titles should be written in title case. This means only using capital letters for the principal words. Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions do not get capital letters unless they start the title. For example: > The Last of the Mohicans
- ithkuil 7y agoBut the article is not necessarily part of the title. E.g. > Bible scholar N.T. Wright says ... source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible
- shawabawa3 7y agoBecause this is an informal context and capital letters aren't all that meaningful in english It wouldn't be weird at all to say "the art of computer programming by donald knuth"
- loco5niner 7y agoIt would be incorrect, but it would not be weird because we have unfortunately gotten lazy in our writing.
- charwalker 7y agoIt could also be dismissal of their importance like not capitalizing "god" when referring to the entity known as such. Capitalization may allow a reader expecting it to infer which god is being referred to by name vs the description like Zeus is a Greek god, God is the christian god. I'd prefer it if variables weren't reused though.
- gilgoomesh 7y agoLowercase is wrong for these titles, they should be title case. Anyone who writes them lowercase is likely being lazy.