Internet or internet?

[Nightmare85]

Hello,
Years ago I learned that Internet always starts with a capital letter.
However, I'm not sure anymore because I read internet several times.
My favorite dictionary, dict.cc, shows Internet this way:
dict.cc | internet | Wrterbuch Englisch-Deutsch

As you can see, it also starts with a capital letter, but strangely it doesn't start with a capital letter if it's linked to another word, like:
internet access
internet provider
internet user

What do you think?

Cheers!

[stanislaw.masny]

Hello,
Years ago I learned that Internet always starts with a capital letter.
However, I'm not sure anymore because I read internet several times.
My favorite dictionary, dict.cc, shows Internet this way:
dict.cc | internet | Wrterbuch Englisch-Deutsch

As you can see, it also starts with a capital letter, but strangely it doesn't start with a capital letter if it's linked to another word, like:
internet access
internet provider
internet user

What do you think?

Cheers!

I think that it is because 'internet' is used adjectivally.
S.M.

[sarat_106]

I think that it is because 'internet' is used adjectivally.
S.M.

Yes, when functioning as an adjective, small 'i' is used but as noun it is capital 'I' particularly in US; as:
The internet banking allows you to put in or take out money from a bank account by using the Internet

[Barb_D]

The 2007 AP Stylebook (the version on my bookshelf) does capitalize it, but I wouldn't be surprised if a more recent version allows it to be lower-cased now.

[bertietheblue]

A linguist can no doubt tell you more, but, as far as I am aware, there is a general drift towards simplicity as word usage becomes more widespread - what I mean is words gradually losing stylistic distinctions as they become assimilated into the language, eg loss of capitals, loss of italics, loss of hyphens. Compare:

- how common Latin terms lose their italics over time:
eg 'vice versa', which is now more usually 'vice versa'
- how common noun+noun phrases merge over time:
'time frame' to 'time-frame' to 'timeframe' (I'd say we're currently in the transitional stage between the hyphenated word and single word)
- how prefixes lose their hyphens over time:
'e-mail' to 'email' (again, we're still in the transitional stage)

With capitals, I think this is common where there is a 'loss of ownership'; once upon a time some institute - I don't know who exactly without checking - created a way of linking computers in different locations and they gave this the name 'the Internet'. It was 'their' Internet, but now it is everyone's 'internet'. Having said that, one still reads 'Internet' sometimes, so I suppose the word is still not fully over the transitional stage.

[Tdol]

I think Bertie's point about ownership is good and also the argument for using Internet is weakened by the fact that it is often used synonymously with the web, so people are actually not referring to the Internet/internet when they use the word. A few years ago, people were saying that email had to be uncountable because mail is unccountable, but that argument was completely ignored- people will use language the way they want to. I write internet because it saves hitting the shift key and I really don't see it as a proper noun- it's a thing not the name of a thing to me.

[TheParser]

Hello,
Years ago I learned that Internet always starts with a capital letter.
However, I'm not sure anymore because I read internet several times.
My favorite dictionary, dict.cc, shows Internet this way:
dict.cc | internet | Wrterbuch Englisch-Deutsch

As you can see, it also starts with a capital letter, but strangely it doesn't start with a capital letter if it's linked to another word, like:
internet access
internet provider
internet user

What do you think?

Cheers!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Nightmare.

(1) After reading your question, I happened to see an article entltled

"The Fight to Save the Internet" in "Parade" magazine, which is put

inside dozens of American newspapers every Sunday. I guess millions

of people read it.

(2) The article mentions the Internet five times -- always capitalized

(no matter used in a nominal or adjectival sense):

private Internal service ....

For example, Internet providers ....

insuring openness, the Internet could be ....

We need an open Internet, ...

Public interest groups, Internet wonks, and ....

(P. S. "Wonk" is a slang term that means someone who is

really!!! really !!!!! really !!!!!!!! interested in something. Be careful

before you use it. Sometimes it has a meaning that may be a bit

insulting.)

***** Thank you *****