Capitalize or Lowercase Words Derived from Proper Nouns
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Some nouns, verbs, and adjectives derived from the names of people, nations, cities, or trade names are capitalized and some are not. Use a dictionary to verify. The general trend is to lowercase these words if they have been in common use for a long time and no longer evoke the original proper noun — pasteurize, french fries, venetian blinds.
Examples
A. The milk was Pasteurized at the plant.
A. The milk was pasteurized at the plant.
Pasteurize has been in common use long enough to drop the capital — check your dictionary.
A. She ordered a cuban sandwich and a cup of coffee.
A. She ordered a Cuban sandwich and a cup of coffee.
Cuban still clearly evokes the country of origin — keep the capital.
Transcript Notes
Capitalize the adjective form derived from a proper noun (Floridian, Episcopal, Orwellian). Notable exceptions: congressional, constitutional, senatorial, and presidential are now commonly accepted with lowercase letters. The word 'constitutional' is a notable exception — do not capitalize it in general contexts (constitutional amendment, constitutional law).
Style Guide References (4)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP