[Vocabulary] a purse

[Meja]

Because Google is the company with the search engine. We use it as a verb but retain it's capitalization. BTW, you don't need to capitalize it if you don't want to.

I think I have never seen a capitalized verb in a sentence. I was taught to capitalize some trademark nouns, but not to capitalize them when used as a verb.

 

[andrewg927]

You should always capitalize the verb "to Google" as long as Google remains a proper noun. If it eventually becomes a common noun meaning "to search by means of an online engine", the verb will no longer require capitalization.

I really think it has become a common noun. When people say "google it", it does not mean "only use Google" and nothing else.

 

[andrewg927]

I think I have never seen a capitalized verb in a sentence. I was taught to capitalize some trademark nouns, but not to capitalize them when used as a verb.

You are right. We don't typically capitalize verbs. This is one of the rare exceptions.

 

[Meja]

You should always capitalize the verb "to Google" as long as Google remains a proper noun. If it eventually becomes a common noun meaning "to search by means of an online engine", the verb will no longer require capitalization.

Should that be called "a proper verb"?
I actually do not use Google as my (main) browser and I wondered if it is appropriate to use the verb "to google" (or "to Google") for searching the Internet for information without using Google. I see that some dictionaries restrict it to using Google, while others don't.

 

[andrewg927]

Should that be called "a proper verb"?
I actually do not use Google as my (main) browser and I wondered if it is appropriate to use the verb "to google" (or "to Google") for searching the Internet for information without using Google. I see that some dictionaries restrict it to using Google, while others don't.

It is a proper noun used as a verb. You can use "google it" to mean searching for information on the Internet without actually using Google for it.

 

[GoesStation]

The Canadian government translation bureau's style page on words derived from proper nouns puts it very well: "Verbs derived from proper nouns are also capitalized unless their association with the proper noun is remote...." Therefore we may italicize and Anglicize a word. I learned this by Googling capitalize words derived from proper nouns. (Because the association of the verb and the proper noun is very close, "to Google" should be capitalized.)

 

[Meja]

The Canadian government translation bureau's style page on words derived from proper nouns puts it very well: "Verbs derived from proper nouns are also capitalized unless their association with the proper noun is remote...." Therefore we may italicize and Anglicize a word. I learned this by Googling capitalize words derived from proper nouns. (Because the association of the verb and the proper noun is very close, "to Google" should be capitalized.)

It never crossed my mind that italicize may be derived from a proper noun. However, isn't the association of a Hoover and hoovering also close (or of Sellotape and to sellotape), and we don't capitalize the latter (at least according to what I was taught)?

 

[GoesStation]

It never crossed my mind that italicize may be derived from a proper noun. However, isn't the association of a Hoover and hoovering also close (or of Sellotape and to sellotape), and we don't capitalize the latter (at least according to what I was taught)?

Neither of those terms exists in American English so I'll defer to British forum members on this one.

 

[andrewg927]

Here's an article on whether to capitalize "google".
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/do-you-capitalize-google

 

[Meja]

I have one more question.
I've found a women's purse in the street.
I refer to a change purse which has a design usually aimed at women. Is the underlined part redundant anyway?

 

[GoesStation]

I have one more question.
I've found a women's purse in the street.
I refer to a change purse which has a design usually aimed at women. Is the underlined part redundant anyway?

It's generally redundant in American English, though I have a brother-in-law who carries one and makes a point of talking about it.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's the same in BrE. Men don't carry purses. Some men carry a small handbag-style bag with a long strap so it hangs on the shoulder or across the body, which is frequently referred to as a "man bag".

 

[GoesStation]

It's the same in BrE. Men don't carry purses. Some men carry a small handbag-style bag with a long strap so it hangs on the shoulder or across the body, which is frequently referred to as a "man bag".

My brother-in-law pointedly calls his bag his "purse". It's a little eccentricity of his.

 

[Skrej]

There were only two or three change purses among those images. You may refer to this one. (The name "a croissant purse" looks very appropriate.)View attachment 2607

It also makes me think of an armadillo.

 

[andrewg927]

It's the same in BrE. Men don't carry purses. Some men carry a small handbag-style bag with a long strap so it hangs on the shoulder or across the body, which is frequently referred to as a "man bag".

I think we call it a "shoulder bag" or "messenger's bag" here but not everyone understands it.

 

[Meja]

I think we call it a "shoulder bag" or "messenger's bag" here but not everyone understands it.

I know that some bags for women are called messenger bags on fashion sites. When we add "'s", do we make it clear that it's a men's bag?

I (male, British) have been know to carry a purse like this.

I have never seen anything similar to this purse. It seems people do not use them here. It looks very practical for coins.

 

[GoesStation]

I know that some bags for women are called messenger bags on fashion sites. When we add "'s", do we make it clear that it's a men's bag?

No. The bag is the same with or without the apostrophe-S. In "messenger bag", messenger is an attributive noun: a noun functioning as an adjective. In "messenger's bag", messenger's​ is a possessive noun.

 

[emsr2d2]

And a "messenger bag" (in the UK) is not the same as a "man bag".

 

[Meja]

No. The bag is the same with or without the apostrophe-S. In "messenger bag", messenger is an attributive noun: a noun functioning as an adjective. In "messenger's bag", messenger's​ is a possessive noun.

I understand the analysis, but I am still not sure whether that means that I can say both postman's bag and postman bag (referring to a type of bags), or man's bag and man bag .


While looking at the pictures of men's purses the other day, I came across the slang word "murse". Is it used when you want to make fun of someone or does it have neutral meaning (just making it clear that it is a men's bag)?

 

[GoesStation]

For some reason "postman bag" (which would be "mailman bag" in American English, if it existed) doesn't work, but only "man bag" works unless you're speaking about the bag of a specific man. (You could say "That man's bag just fell off the rack".) You can say "men's bag" though.

I've never seen "murse". I'll have to run that one past my brother-in-law. (That means tell him about it and see what he thinks.)