What Is Up With This Writer?

[Jack]

I may be mistaken, but aren't most nouns capitalized in German?

IIRC, you can blame the Grimm brothers for this. When not compiling fairy tales, Jakob decided, based on his idiosyncratic theory of grammar, that nouns are the "main words" (Hauptwort means noun in German) and deserved to be capitalized. This wasn't so odd at the time (early 19th cent). Capitalizing nouns and other words was also common in English to show emphasis, along the lines that we use voice stress when speaking. As good examples, see the handwritten drafts of US Declaration of Independence or US Constitution.

During the recent spelling reform (Rechtschreibreform) movement in Germany, there was a move to eliminate the capitalization of nouns. But except for casual writing and cool Internet usage, it never caught on. In fact, the whole spelling reform more or less flopped with the German public, and the last I heard its status is still up in the air.

BTW, if people wonder why I'm always eager to jump in on these language related questions ... I'm a linguist by profession and training, so I can't help myself.

Benjamin Franklin capitalized every noun when he wrote. Transcripts you find today may not be written like that, but it's a choice of the editors.

[lalit]

During the recent spelling reform (Rechtschreibreform) movement in Germany, there was a move to eliminate the capitalization of nouns. But except for casual writing and cool Internet usage, it never caught on. In fact, the whole spelling reform more or less flopped with the German public, and the last I heard its status is still up in the air.

Does this mean the esszed won't die? I love the esszed (which to me actually looks like two ligated esses from an old script or font), and think it would be too bad if it were modernized into plain old "ss", even if that's what it really is!

[Jack]

During the recent spelling reform (Rechtschreibreform) movement in Germany, there was a move to eliminate the capitalization of nouns. But except for casual writing and cool Internet usage, it never caught on. In fact, the whole spelling reform more or less flopped with the German public, and the last I heard its status is still up in the air.

Does this mean the esszed won't die? I love the esszed (which to me actually looks like two ligated esses from an old script or font), and think it would be too bad if it were modernized into plain old "ss", even if that's what it really is!

There are newspapers in Bavaria the last I check which refuse to stop using the ß. I can't remember their names, though.

[djm]

Ja ist der ein Volleyball.

djm

[gonzo914]

Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!

[MTGuru]

Wenn ist das Nunstruck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!

Medic! Medic!

[djm]

Um .... darn, I can't think of another one.

djm

[Innocent Bystander]

Benjamin Franklin capitalized every noun when he wrote. Transcripts you find today may not be written like that, but it's a choice of the editors.

Dean Swift did the same, if you can find a copy of Gulliver's Travels that isn't edited to death for the kiddies.

[emmline]

It Works Great If You Take The Time To Read The Directions First. It Took Me About 15 Min. To Set Up And That Includes Getting The FIPS Codes Off The Internet. I Read All The Bad Reviews And Figured Out That Other People Didn't Read And Follow The Directions Correctly. Directions Are Easy To Follow And Understand And Even If You Make A Mistake Setting It Up, It Lets You Know You Made A Mistake. I Have Had Mine For 3 Months Now And It Works Flawlessly. You Can Set It So It Sounds The Alarm And Then Comes On To Tell You What The Alert Is Which Is The Way I Have Mine Set Up. After A Few Min., It Will Turn Itself Back Off And Be Ready For The Next Alert. As Long As You Read The Directions FIRST, You Wont Be Dissapointed. Receintly We Had Tornados Come Thru Our Area And This Weather Radio Saved My Life By Warning Me In Advance As To The Aproaching Weather. It Really Does Work. This Weather Radio Is Replacing My Old Radio Shack Radio Which Still Works Great. Reception Is Good, You May Have To Move It Around To Get The Best Reception. If You Put In The Right FIPS Codes, You Wont Get False Alarms. The Direction Booklet Tells You The Web Site To Get The FIPS Codes. Also, There Is No Difference Between The 100, 100b, Or The 100c. I Called Midland About This. All The Bad Reviews I Contribute To Not Reading And Following The Directions And Impatience. You Can Check NOAA'S Web site And They Will Tell You About Any Weather Radio Issues Or Recalls. Midland Had One On An Older One But Not On This One. I Check Things Out Before I Buy Them Especially Something As Important As This. Just A Note, I Come From New Orleans--Katrina--. Need I Say More As To The Importance Of Equiptment That Works Right.

It works great if you take the time to read the directions first. It took me about 15 min. to set up and that includes getting the FIPS codes off the internet. I read all the bad reviews and figured out that other people didn't read and follow the directions correctly. Directions are easy to follow and understand and even if you make a mistake setting it up, it lets you know you made a mistake. I have had mine for 3 months now and it works flawlessly. You can set it so it sounds the alarm and then comes on to tell you what the alert is which is the way I have mine set up. After a few min., it will turn itself back off and be ready for the next alert. As long as you read the directions FIRST, you wont be dissapointed. Receintly we had tornados come thru our area and this weather radio saved my life by warning me in advance as to the aproaching weather. It really does work. This weather radio is replacing my old Radio Shack radio which still works great. Reception is good, you may have to move it around to get the best reception. If you put in the right FIPS codes, you wont get false alarms. The direction booklet tells you the web site to get the FIPS codes. Also, there is no difference between the 100, 100b, or the 100c. I called Midland about this. All the bad reviews I contribute to not reading and following the directions and impatience. You can check NOAA's web site and they will tell you about any weather radio issues or recalls. Midland had one on an older one but not on this one. I check things out before I buy them especially something as important as this. Just a note, I come from New Orleans--Katrina--. Need I say more as to the importance of equiptment that works right.

Wow. My bp dropped about 20 points between the first example and the second. Did anyone else experience a sense of calm when viewing the one capitalized as your brain expected?

[jsluder]

Wow. My bp dropped about 20 points between the first example and the second. Did anyone else experience a sense of calm when viewing the one capitalized as your brain expected?

Yes. I couldn't force myself to read the original. My brain would cause my eyes to unfocus, and I'd get this irresistable urge to do just about anything except read that passage of text. I had no trouble reading Cynth's edited version, though.

[Lambchop]

Wow. My bp dropped about 20 points between the first example and the second. Did anyone else experience a sense of calm when viewing the one capitalized as your brain expected?

Yes. My urge to go count cans of tuna and check the dates on the battery supply went away, too.

[Cynth]

It Works Great If You Take The Time To Read The Directions First. It Took Me About 15 Min. To Set Up And That Includes Getting The FIPS Codes Off The Internet. I Read All The Bad Reviews And Figured Out That Other People Didn't Read And Follow The Directions Correctly. Directions Are Easy To Follow And Understand And Even If You Make A Mistake Setting It Up, It Lets You Know You Made A Mistake. I Have Had Mine For 3 Months Now And It Works Flawlessly. You Can Set It So It Sounds The Alarm And Then Comes On To Tell You What The Alert Is Which Is The Way I Have Mine Set Up. After A Few Min., It Will Turn Itself Back Off And Be Ready For The Next Alert. As Long As You Read The Directions FIRST, You Wont Be Dissapointed. Receintly We Had Tornados Come Thru Our Area And This Weather Radio Saved My Life By Warning Me In Advance As To The Aproaching Weather. It Really Does Work. This Weather Radio Is Replacing My Old Radio Shack Radio Which Still Works Great. Reception Is Good, You May Have To Move It Around To Get The Best Reception. If You Put In The Right FIPS Codes, You Wont Get False Alarms. The Direction Booklet Tells You The Web Site To Get The FIPS Codes. Also, There Is No Difference Between The 100, 100b, Or The 100c. I Called Midland About This. All The Bad Reviews I Contribute To Not Reading And Following The Directions And Impatience. You Can Check NOAA'S Web site And They Will Tell You About Any Weather Radio Issues Or Recalls. Midland Had One On An Older One But Not On This One. I Check Things Out Before I Buy Them Especially Something As Important As This. Just A Note, I Come From New Orleans--Katrina--. Need I Say More As To The Importance Of Equiptment That Works Right.

It works great if you take the time to read the directions first. It took me about 15 min. to set up and that includes getting the FIPS codes off the internet. I read all the bad reviews and figured out that other people didn't read and follow the directions correctly. Directions are easy to follow and understand and even if you make a mistake setting it up, it lets you know you made a mistake. I have had mine for 3 months now and it works flawlessly. You can set it so it sounds the alarm and then comes on to tell you what the alert is which is the way I have mine set up. After a few min., it will turn itself back off and be ready for the next alert. As long as you read the directions FIRST, you wont be dissapointed. Receintly we had tornados come thru our area and this weather radio saved my life by warning me in advance as to the aproaching weather. It really does work. This weather radio is replacing my old Radio Shack radio which still works great. Reception is good, you may have to move it around to get the best reception. If you put in the right FIPS codes, you wont get false alarms. The direction booklet tells you the web site to get the FIPS codes. Also, there is no difference between the 100, 100b, or the 100c. I called Midland about this. All the bad reviews I contribute to not reading and following the directions and impatience. You can check NOAA's web site and they will tell you about any weather radio issues or recalls. Midland had one on an older one but not on this one. I check things out before I buy them especially something as important as this. Just a note, I come from New Orleans--Katrina--. Need I say more as to the importance of equiptment that works right.

Wow. My bp dropped about 20 points between the first example and the second. Did anyone else experience a sense of calm when viewing the one capitalized as your brain expected?

It was a completely different experience for me as well. My eyes felt very strained when I read the first example. I don't know if it is because the capital letters are harder for us to identify than the small letters (like "B" and "R" look more similar than "b" and "r" do---but there may be as many counter-instances of that) or if the large-small alteration is causing actual eye problems or if it is a matter of what we are accustomed to.

I think one could design a set of experiments to try to figure out what it is that causes the problem. For example, I saw an experiment once that showed that serifs on letters make them easier to read---it had something to do with how much of the letter you need to see before you can identify it. I don't have any ideas at the moment about capital letters though. Perhaps there have even been experiments. It is interesting to me because what makes something more legible or less legible is often quite surprising.

Yes. My urge to go count cans of tuna and check the dates on the battery supply went away, too.

You know, it took me quite awhile, but I finally got it !



Many printed texts and manuscripts in English from at least the very early 18th c. up to sometime in the 19th c. use capitalization for selected nouns. Those texts are not difficult to read at all. I don't think there is any relation between the idea of capitalizing some or all of the nouns in a text and the idea of capitalizing every single word in a text.

[mutepointe]

serifs and fonts matter to me when i'm reading something. this is an ok font. i would like to find the person who designed Times New Roman and find the person who set that as the default font for microsoft word and corel wordperfect and do something extreme to them. Time New Roman font is extremely annoying to me.