Kinship Names: To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize?
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Kinship Names: To Capitalize or Not to Capitalize?
Several readers have asked why kinship names, such as names of brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, etc., are sometimes capitalized and sometimes not. Let’s have a closer look.
Rule 1: Capitalize a kinship name when it immediately precedes a personal name or is used alone, in place of a personal name.
Examples
Andy and Opie loved Aunt Bee’s apple pies.
We adore Uncle Malik, because he always treats us like royalty when we visit him.
Grandma and Grandpa were married in a chapel in a small French village.
Let’s go ask Mom if we can go to the movies.
Rule 2: Do not capitalize a kinship name when it is not part of the personal name but is a word describing the personal name. This usually occurs when the kinship name is preceded by articles such as the, a, or an; or possessive pronouns such as his, her, my, our, your, or their.
Examples
Andy and Opie loved their aunt Bee’s apple pies.
We adore our uncle Malik, because he always treats us like royalty when we visit him.
My grandma and grandpa were married in a chapel in a small French village.
Let’s go ask my mom if we can go to the movies.
Rule 3: Do not capitalize a kinship name when it follows the personal name or is not referencing a specific person.
Examples
The James brothers were notorious for robbing scores of banks and trains.
There’s not one mother I know who would allow her child to cross that street alone.
Pop Quiz
Select the correct word:
1. We’d travel all day to eat a meal prepared by our aunt/Aunt Ella.
2. When I saw the letter from mother/Mother, I knew it contained only good news.
3. Lydia became a mother/Mother at twenty.
4. I’m sorry, son/Son, but we’re not going to have a campfire tonight.
5. Some fathers/Fathers build a campfire every night.
Answers:
1. We’d travel all day to eat a meal prepared by our aunt Ella.
2. When I saw the letter from Mother, I knew it contained only good news.
3. Lydia became a mother at twenty.
4. I’m sorry, Son, but we’re not going to have a campfire tonight.
5. Some fathers build a campfire every night.
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
I have been checking a proof for my book. I was confused about the capitalization of family titles–and find it all boils down to whether there is a posessive pronoun before the family title followed by their name. After much searching, your article finally satisfied me…providing the handle I needed before accepting the editor’s proofs. Thank you for providing this service.
I come to your site often when I have proofreading questions. In the following sentence what should be capitalized?
I loved the flowers Great Grandma Jo planted.
And also should it be Great-Grandma instead?
Rule 1 in our blog Kinship Names says, “Capitalize a kinship name when it immediately precedes a personal name or is used alone, in place of a personal name.” Since “Great-Grandma” precedes the name Jo, it should be capitalized. However, there is no definitive rule regarding whether it should be Great-Grandma or Great-grandma, so choose a method and be consistent. Also, it should be hyphenated since the hyphen distinguishes great-grandma from “a grandma who is great.” To avoid any worries, you could rewrite the sentence as, “I loved the flowers my great-grandma Jo planted.”
I just wondered about your example, where you did not capitalize “great-grandma” when saying “great-grandma Jo.” Yet you said earlier in your response that it should be capitalized. Which one is correct? Thanks.
In the sentence “I loved the flowers my great-grandma Jo planted,” the kinship name is preceded by the possessive pronoun my. Therefore, in accordance with Rule 2 above, the kinship name is a word describing the personal name and is not capitalized.
When writing a note, do you capitalize friends as in…
Dear friends,
It is not necessary to capitalize the word friends.
Under Rule 1, would both “great” and “grandfather” be capitalized? For example, would it be: “I asked Great-grandfather Ted a question,” or “I asked Great-Grandfather Ted a question” ?
Since there is no definitive rule regarding whether it should be Great-Grandfather or Great-grandfather, choose a method and be consistent. To avoid any worries, you could rewrite the sentence as, “I asked my great-grandfather Ted a question.”
Although I understand the conventions regarding kinship names (this blog is a great help!) I really want to capitilise all references to Mother and Father, Ma and Pa in my novel because of the importance of these kinsfolk in the story. Would resders just think I didn’t understand the grammatical conventions? Many thanks for your advice.
It is possible that readers who are proficient in the rules of grammar could be bothered by the unnecessary capitalization. As an author, it is your decision whether or not to go unconventional.
Your article was a great help, but I’m still not sure if the capitalization in the following sentence is correct.
Mother and Sister greeted Father and Son at the door as they marched triumphantly in with the Christmas tree bound in twine, and riding on their shoulders.
In most cases, Mother (Mom, Ma, etc.) and Father (Dad, Pa, etc.), and Grandfather and Grandmother (or Grandpa and Grandma) refer to one’s actual parents and grandparents, whereas son, sister, cousin, brother, etc., are often used far more broadly: An older man might tell a younger, unrelated man, “Watch out for that nail, son.” Two good friends might take to calling each other “cousin” because they feel a special bond. So these familial nouns that do not refer to parents and grandparents are in their own sub-category: they have become complicated by poetic license. It might make sense, therefore, to capitalize these stand-alone terms only when the person addressed is an actual blood relation. (For more, see Shawn Wolf’s comments from March 1, 2016.)
What would you do if the character uses an adjective before the name? For example, should it be:
“I don’t care what you think, Little Brother.” or
“I don’t care what you think, little brother.”
Thanks for your advice!!
The term “little brother” in your example sentence is considered a “term of endearment,” and it is usually not capitalized, even when used as a direct address.
Do you capitalize the article “the” when referring to a family… for example
Our neighbors, the Garzas, are hosting the block party this year.
or should it be..
Our neighbors, The Garzas, are hosting the block party this year.
The word the is rarely capitalized unless it is the first word in a sentence.
When using the terms ‘Ma and Pa,’ I know you capitalize them when talking about your own parents. But what about someone elses? Leaving them lowercase just doesn’t look right.
As mentioned in Rule 2, a kinship name is not capitalized if it is preceded by possessive pronouns such as his, her, my, our, your, or their.
Do you capitalized grandmother in the case of
“. . . in the photo beside Joan is Jim’s grandmother, Ruth Smith.”
As mentioned in Rule 2, do not capitalize a kinship name when it is a word describing the personal name.
I want to find out what the rule is on ‘going to be a grandma again’ or ‘going to be a dad again’. My understanding is that once you are you are- you can’t be it again if you already are. Unless something happened to the first child and they are no longer around.
Appreciate your feedback on this.
That’s an interesting point, but there is no rule regarding these common phrases.
I am inquiring about to capitalize ‘partners to a civil union”.
is it name 1, name 2, “Partners to a Civil Union”, or “partners to a Civil Union”?
Write “partners to a civil union” or “partners in a civil union.”
I have a question regarding listing names and kinship’s in something like an obituary. Should son, grandsons and sister be capitalized?
He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Mary; son Dean (Laci); grandsons Coal and Nash; sister June (Paul) and sister-in-law Fran (Brian).
The words should not be capitalized, just as you have them in your sentence.
In my wedding program, how should I capitalize the following, “Richard is wearing gold cufflinks from his Great-Great-Granddaddy Johnson”.
As mentioned in Rule 2, a kinship name is not capitalized if it is preceded by possessive pronouns such as his, her, my, our, your, or their. Therefore write “Richard is wearing gold cufflinks from his great-great-granddaddy Johnson.” (The term “granddaddy” rather than “grandfather” seems informal for a wedding program, but it is up to you and your family, of course.)
Which is correct, Ryan’s wife or Ryan’s Wife? Thank you!
Do not capitalize the word wife.
Would you capitalize ‘brother’ in a situation like this:
My brother took out the garbage and Mother was very happy.
In accordance with Rule 2 in the blog, if the kinship name is preceded by an article such as my, do not capitalize.
When referring to a brother as in a gang, would brother be capitalized?
EX. I need to make sure my Brothers are safe.
Do not capitalize.
When writing great-Grandma, do I also capitalize the word great?
Whether the word is capitalized at all depends on how it is used in the sentence. If it is used with an article or with a possessive pronoun such as “her great-grandma,” it is not capitalized at all. If it precedes a personal name or is used in place of a personal name, the word great is capitalized. There is no definitive rule regarding whether it should be Great-Grandma or Great-grandma, so choose a method and be consistent. You may also want to see our response of May 25, 2013, to Celeste, and our response of August 30, 2013, to Nancy.
Is this correct? Do I capitalize great and grandma? Is there a comma before Marie?
My great-great-grandmother, Marie.
In accordance with Rule 2 in the blog, if the kinship name is preceded by an article such as my, do not capitalize. Do not use a comma since the name is essential. Everyone has more than one great-great-grandmother, whether alive or not.
Rule 1 of your post on kinship names says to capitalize when the word is used alone, in place of a personal name. Your examples refer to specific, existing people; Mom, Aunty, etc. But what about when you’re referring to a hypothetical family member?
I’m writing copy for a baby product company. Many of my product descriptions and the company’s About Me section include phrases like “the first three weeks of baby’s life” and “when baby starts crawling.” I’m talking about a generalized concept of any baby, not a specific, individual baby. In this case, should I still capitalize? Im thinking that capitalization is required, but it looks unnanturally formal and more specific meaning than using the lowercase.
Baby can be a kinship name in usages such as I love ya, baby, but we still wouldn’t capitalize it. It’s not a kinship name in your examples, because such names are attached to specific humans.
“Abby’s great grandmother is from Africa.” Should Great Grandmother be capitalized?
Your sentence should be “Abby’s great-grandmother is from Africa.”
I have a question I didn’t see here. If you are using words like dad, mom, son etc., in a sentence, do you use caps?
I’e read that dad and mom should always be in caps, yet son and daughter should not. Is this true?
“I see what you did there, son.”
“I see what you did there, Dad.”
Many thanks.
Since the kinship name is used alone, in place of a personal name, it should be capitalized. (Also see our response of May 23, 2014.)
I am curious to know how to treat ‘son’ in a direct address like the above example (I see what you did there, son) when used as a term of endearment (not addressed to a legal or biological son but just a term of endearment).
A term of endearment is usually not capitalized, even when used as a direct address.
Which of the following is correct?
I was recently contacted by my aunt, Holly Smith,…
or
I was recently contacted by my Aunt, Holly Smith,…
The word aunt here is followed by a possessive pronoun, so according to Rule 2, it should not be capitalized; however, I am still wondering whether or not I should include the commas here.
Correct, “aunt” should not be capitalized. If Holly Smith is your only aunt, use the comma. If you have two or more aunts, no comma. See our post “Commas with Appositives.”
awesome! exactly what I needed! but just a polite aside – what is the authority of all you say; for the CMS states common nouns like mom, son, father, are not to be capitalized. I wonder.
The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 8.35 says, “Kinship names are lowercased unless they immediately precede a personal name or are used alone, in place of a personal name.”
Examples: Uncle Wayne or Grandpa.
According to the rule 1, the following sentence is correct:
Did you break Mother’s vase?
However, an elementary school teacher said the correct one should be like this:
Did you break mother’s vase?
I do not intend to argue with the teacher. I simply want to learn the correct grammar. Thank you.
We stand by our Rule 1. You could write “Did you break your mother’s vase?” without capitalizing.
Capitalization of Mom and Dad
Should the word Dad in the sentence below be capitalized?
The protagonist in the story is saying this of someone else’s dad, not her dad.
Will grabbed his Dad’s luggage and took it upstairs and came right back down.
In accordance with Rule 2 in this post, if the kinship name is preceded by a possessive pronoun such as his, do not capitalize.
I’m trying to figure out if when I write ” grandma (their name)” is grandma capitalized?
Yes, capitalize a kinship name when it immediately precedes a personal name.
Example: Grandma Joan
When referring to a family as a whole would it be the Smith family or the Smith Family? I’m unsure about the capitalization of “family”.
Thanks!
If you are referring to the Smith family in a sentence, in most cases you would not capitalize family.
My Mother is the best mother in the world she is kind to everyone I got that for homework and I need to rewrite the sentence. I know that instead of My Mother it should be My mother but how about the other one and also the end part
Thnxs
We prefer not doing people’s homework assignments for them. Your capitalization question is covered in this post. Please see our Rule 3a of Commas for general guidance regarding the sentence.
I love your site and use it when I help others with writing. However, there is still quite a bit that I don’t know. When I use daddy in a sentence, as in, “time alone with daddy,” is it capitalized? Someone told me it is incorrect in a post on my blog.
Since the word Daddy is used alone, in place of a personal name, it should be capitalized in your phrase.
Just wondering if you would use a capital for mom and grandma in these instances:
‘Hi mate. How are you doing buddy? Where’s mom?’
Is mom a capital?
‘Mommy is in the kitchen with grandma.’
Is grandma capital?
Since Mom and Grandma are used alone, in place of a personal name in your sentences, they should both be capitalized. Also, our Rule 8 of Commas says, “Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.” Therefore, use a comma before the terms of endearment mate and buddy.
I was taught that if I use a term in place of the person’s name, that term should be capitalized. Example:
Please help me fold this laundry, Dear. Also, what about titles like “Sir.” Example, “Please, Sir, may I have more?”
One final question: If I use the word “club” in place of the full name of the club, is “club” capitalized? Example: The members of the Irish Club will hold a cocktail party for Club members only. (If I don’t capitalize “club,” it could mean that the members of any club could attend.)
The word dear is considered a term of endearment, not a kinship name. A term of endearment is usually not capitalized, even when used as a direct address.
The Chicago Manual of Style does not recommend capitalizing the word sir.
Regarding the word club in your example, when you refer back to a proper noun using a shortened version of the original name, you may capitalize it, but in this case, since “club” is so generic, we would advise against it. If the group were called the Irish Society, on the other hand, a capital s (for Society members only) might be a good idea.
I’ve read the post and comments above but I need to clear a doubt the capitalization of sir/ma’am/madam.
It was stated in one of the comment (May 2, 2016) that the CMS doesn’t recommend capitalizing sir.
Does this rule apply to ma’am/madam?
E.g
May I help you, Madam? OR
May I help you, madam?
Please have a seat, ma’am. OR
Please have a seat, Ma’am.
Yes, the same rule applies; however, if the word is part of an honorific title, such as Madam Speaker or Sir Walter Scott, it is capitalized.
I understand Rule 1, but it seems that common usage in that Mom or Dad is capitalized when used alone in place of a personal name, but son and daughter aren’t. So, these sentences look ‘normal’ to me:
“Are you coming with us, Dad?”
“Not today, son.”
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Mom and Dad can be used like this:
“Mom is going to the story today. She wants to know if you need anything.”
But you wouldn’t see something like this:
“Son has a baseball game this afternoon.”
It’s almost like in this form…
“Not today, son.”
…the ‘son’ is a form of endearment, like ‘sonny’, ‘honey’, ‘dear’, etc., which are not capitalized.
You are correct. Mom and Dad are kinship names. For words like son and daughter, please also see our response of May 23, 2014.
So if I understand correctly, “Mom” and “Dad” are capitalized when they’re by themselves because they can be used as the subject of a sentence, whereas “son” and “daughter” are taken as terms of endearment and are therefore not capitalized. How about kinship terms like “cousin” or “uncle”? If a person says “Sorry about that, cousin,” would it be capitalized?
If the cousin and uncle are blood relations, the name should be capitalized. Please see our May 23, 2014, reply to R. Alan for more information.
When writing a research paper that is referring to all mothers, you do not capitalize “mothers,” do you?
e.g., Most Mothers spend a lot of time in the car transporting their children…
No, do not capitalize.
I am creating wedding programs and want to ensure I use the proper form of mom. The sentence is as follows…
Shortly after the moms are seated, in comes Matthew followed by our fabulous wedding party.
Should moms be capitalized?
In accordance with Rule 2 in this post, if the kinship name is preceded by an article such as the, a, or an, do not capitalize. We recommend a comma after “Matthew.”
I am writing an essay on my ancestor. He is my 7th great-grandfather. Is it correct for me to use 7th as opposed to seven-times or seven times? Please help.
We claim no expertise in this genealogical matter, but it seems reasonable to write 7th-great-grandfather, seventh-great-grandfather, seven-times-great-grandfather, or even to spell out “great” all seven times, using hyphens.
In saying that someone was someones brother, father, uncle etc would we use capitals? eg: Dearly loved brother, father, uncle and son.
No.
What is correct?
Hi aunt Lynn, or
Hi Aunt Lynn,
Thank you.
As stated in Rule 1 of this post, since the kinship name immediately precedes the personal name, it should be capitalized. Also, our Rule 8 of Commas says, “Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.” Therefore, a comma is required after “Hi.”
I called my grandmother “Mee Maw.”
Which would be correct?
My mee maw told me I couldn’t go barefoot before May 1.
My Mee Maw told me I couldn’t go barefoot after Labor Day.
The second one looks better because Mee Maw isn’t a term like “grandma”.
Thanks for input.
By using the possessive pronoun my, the word becomes more of a description than a personal name, as explained in Rule 2 in our post above. However, this is a special case, and if you wish to cap “my Mee Maw,” it could be acceptable as a form of poetic license.
Wow you just taught me lessons in proper grammar, I could never understand completely in English class.For that I want to thank-you.
I am in the process of writing a Book with series to follow behind or trilogy,whichever you prefer to term the books. Now my question to you is: How well did I just write this blog. The worst to the best please. I would like an honest opinion.
Thank-you
We appreciate the positive comments, however, we are unable to provide proofreading and editing services.
Do I capitalize Son in this sentence?
In this chapter, we will deal with Abraham and his Firstborn Son Ishmael, born of the bondwoman.
No, the word son is not used as a name in your sentence. Therefore, do not capitalize. The word firstborn should not be capitalized either.
We are writing on our Christmas card:
“Merry Christmas!
Love, the (Smith) family”
Capitalize Family? The? I’m confused because they are part of the signature. I feel stupid because we’ve been doing this for years.
If you are referring to the Smith family in a sentence, in most cases you would not capitalize either the (unless it began a sentence) or family. There does not seem to be an established rule for using the words as part of a signature.
I am working on a wedding program for a friend, and I am unsure of capitalization on the following examples:
1) “Matron of Honor – Jane Doe, cousin of the Bride” versus “Matron of Honor – Jane Doe, Cousin of the Bride”
2) “Best Man – John Doe, brother-in-law of the Bride” versus “Best Man – John Doe, Brother-in-Law of the Bride,” versus “Best Man – John Doe, Brother-in-law of the Bride.”
Wedding invitations and programs have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. It is really up to your own sense of aesthetics.
I am editing my WIP, at one point I have the MC recounting in narrative: …Ilmar the woman I call Grandma…or should it be grandma?
Since it is used in place of a personal name, we recommend capitalizing Grandma.
Your article helps me a lot. But I have some questions.
Can I say –
-‘I’ve many Uncles’ ?
-‘I’ve Friend’?
-‘I talked to Wife’?
-‘It’s Mothers that can always be good to us’?
-‘It’s Father’s book’?
If my sentences were wrong, please point out my mistakes.
And can I capitalize the word ‘Great’ in the sentence below?
I saw Great-grandpa watching tv.
I really need your help. Please reply!
Thanks a trillion!!
The following are grammatically correct:
I have many uncles.
I have a friend.
I talked to my wife.
It’s mothers who are always good to us.
It’s Father’s book.
There is no definitive rule regarding whether it should be Great-Grandpa or Great-grandpa in your sentence, so choose a method and be consistent.
Would great be capitalized?
Example: My great, great grandmother is Julie.
or
Example: My Great, Great Grandmother is Julie.
Since the name is preceded by the possessive pronoun my, do not capitalize: My great-great-grandmother is Julie. (See Rule 2 of Hyphens with Prefixes and Suffixes.)
Do I capitalize dad in the sentence: Jeff’s Dad passed away? Or mother in, My dear Mother passed away?
Do not capitalize. Since the kinship names are preceded by the words Jeff’s and my, Rule 2 above applies to both sentences.
Do I capitalize old man as in Old Man Bob? A nickname. Thanks.
The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 8.34 says, “A descriptive or characterizing word or phrase used as part of, or instead of, a person’s name is capitalized.”
What about plural use when you mention more than one relative at the same time? For example, would “aunts” be lowercase or capitalized when you are referring to more than one aunt?
I knew and loved both aunts Ida and Alice throughout my teen years.
I knew and loved both Aunts Ida and Alice throughout my teen years.
I knew and loved both Aunts Ida and Alice throughout my teen years is equivalent to writing I knew and loved both Aunt Ida and Aunt Alice throughout my teen years.
I’m writing a personal note on a glass saying
To a wonderful son.
Which is correct son or Son, do I use a capital letter for ‘son’?
Do not capitalize. Since the word son is preceded by the article a, Rule 2 above applies.
I keep wanting to capitalize “aunt” when using the pronoun “your” as aunt seems part of the proper name as Aunt Mary is what she is commonly called. Which is correct?
Your Aunt Mary went to college.
Your aunt Mary went to college.
Thank you.
In the sentence “Your aunt Mary went to college,” the kinship name is preceded by the possessive pronoun your. Therefore, in spite of what you keep wanting to do, in accordance with Rule 2 above, the kinship name is a word describing the personal name and is not capitalized.
In the sentence below, should ‘aunt’ be capitalized. Thanks!
Where did aunt Polly go during the Democratic National Convention?
As per Rule 1 above, since the kinship name immediately precedes the personal name, it should be capitalized.
Can you please tell me the proper way to write the following sentence? Shouldn’t their last name be capitalized even though I start the sentence with “my”?
My Great-Grandma and Grandpa Smith are buried here
or
My great-grandma and grandpa Smith are buried here.
Thank you
Only the last name should be capitalized in your sentence.
Advanced Grammar in Use by Martin Hewings has the following sentence: “She had just heard that he had been flown by helicopter to hospital in Edinburgh from a village called Contin where he had been fishing with my Uncle Mark.”
Why do you think the author capitalized “Uncle”?
Perhaps the author is following British rules.
In one of the comments, you say ‘In the sentence “Your aunt Mary went to college,” the kinship name is preceded by the possessive pronoun your. Therefore, in spite of what you keep wanting to do, in accordance with Rule 2 above, the kinship name is a word describing the personal name and is not capitalized’.
But then Yuliia asks yoг about ‘my Uncle Ben’ and you reply that the author follows British rules. Could you elaborate?
The same rule applies to the possessive prounoun my; therefore, the word uncle should not be capitalized in accordance with American English rules. Martin Hewings writes about British English rules, which sometimes differ from American English.
Poor little Ana Finley.
Or
Poor Little Ana Finley.
Thanks for the help!
The term “poor little” is not considered to be a kinship name. Kinship names are terms such as mother, father, mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, etc. Therefore, there is no need to capitalize unless it begins a sentence.
Poor little Ana Finley is lost.
We fear that poor little Ana Finley is lost.
When saying two mummies and two daddies do we need capital letters?
No.
Do you capitalize grandchildren when listing grandchildren names on a funeral program? Example:
Grandchildren: Lois Smith, John Smith, Precious Smith
Funeral programs, graduation programs, wedding invitations, and the like have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing where we use full sentences. It is really up
to your own sense of aesthetics.
When addressing a great-grandfather in a birthday card from several of his kids, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, is it correct grammar to write: Dad/Granddaddy/Gramps or should we write Dad! Granddaddy! Gramps!
We do not usually recommend using the forward slash; however, addressing cards is more a matter of style than formal rules. Therefore, the style is up to you.
If you were to say “Hattie’s aunt,” would aunt be capitalized?
Since the kinship name is preceded by the word Hattie’s, Rule 2 above applies; therefore, do not capitalize.
What is the proper sentence?
The curious Aunt is always the one who wants to know everything by asking many and sometimes annoying questions.
or
The curious aunt is always the one who wants to know everything by asking many and sometimes annoying questions.
Thanks.
In accordance with Rule 2 above, when the kinship name is preceded by the article the, do not capitalize:
The curious aunt is always the one who wants to know everything by asking many, and sometimes annoying, questions.
OR
The curious aunt is always the one who wants to know everything by asking many questions, some of them annoying.
My question is in regards to grammar for when an aunt and uncle are both being referred to in one sentence. Based on the rules you provided here, I understand that the first one (following “my”) would not be capitalized, but what of the second one in this sentence:
“My uncle Ben and aunt Judith are coming over for dinner.”
Would both uncle AND aunt be lower case, due to them both being preceded by “my” or would aunt be capitalized?
Thank you!
Both are lower case since my aunt Judith is understood from the context.
In most Indian languages, the kinship term usually follows the name. For eg: Anita bua, Rajiv cacha, Indu betiya, Rakesh beta, etc. So, I am assuming the kinship terms will not be capitalized in this case, as they follow the name. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Also, do we capitalize the subjects in these cases:
1. “Please forgive me, my lord.”
2. “Please wake up, sweetheart.”
3. “What’s up, old man!”
We are unable to advise you about capitalizing the kinship names in your situation; we assume there are standards you can follow that apply to Indian languages.
Regarding sentence 1, The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 8.33 indicates that the honorific terms my lord and my lady are not capitalized; however, Rule 8.92 says, “Alternative or descriptive names for God as supreme being are capitalized.” Therefore, the answer depends on how the term is being used.
In sentence 2, sweetheart is used as a term of endearment and is usually not capitalized.
The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 8.34 says, “A descriptive or characterizing word or phrase used as part of, or instead of, a person’s name is capitalized.” Therefore, we recommend capitalizing “Old Man” in sentence 3, if you are using it as a nickname.
When referring to two brothers by their last name, should “brothers” be capitalized (e.g. the Brothers Karamazov)? For the purposes of this question, however, I’m not referring to a title.
The Brothers Smith are over there.
or
The brothers Smith are over there.
Thank you!
Because The precedes brothers, Rule 2 applies here. It would be the same as writing The Smith brothers.
Should I capitalise the word sister in this sentence? I am referring to my sibling, who is NOT a nun. Going by the rule, I gather it must be capitalised because it is used in place of my sister’s name. But a grammarian told me not to capitalise it. What’s correct in this instance?
“I am willing to help you. But Sister/sister, you must help yourself, too.”
Thank you.
Since the kinship name is used alone, in place of a personal name, we recommend capitalizing when the person addressed is a relative. Also, our Rule 8 of Commas says, “Use commas to set off the name, nickname, term of endearment, or title of a person directly addressed.”
But, Sister, you must help yourself, too.
Is there a rule regarding how many times you use the same last name when writing about two or more related people? If you were to write about a husband and wife, you might say “Vic and Lucille Christensen,” but what about when you are talking about brothers with the same last name? I often see the last name used after each first name, like “James Wadsworth and William Wadsworth.” Is it necessary to use the last name twice, or is “James and William Wadsworth” acceptable in formal writing?
Thank you!
As long as your meaning is clear, it’s a matter of author’s discretion.
Great knowledge! You really helped me understand this concept!
How would I capitalize Great Great Uncle Clyde? Is this correct? Would it be hyphenated? Great-Great-Uncle Clyde?
If you are addressing the individual directly, you would capitalize the title because it precedes the name. There is no definitive rule concerning whether it should be Great-Great-Uncle or Great-great-uncle (we believe hyphens are appropriate), so we recommend choosing the style you prefer and remaining consistent with it.
If you are not addressing the uncle but rather describing him, you would not capitalize the title: my great-great-uncle Clyde.
Should you capitalize “the” in the following sentence? The Idiot is being used as a proper noun in place of a name:
“No,” said the Idiot, laughing at her ignorance.
Or should it be:
“No,” said The Idiot, laughing at her ignorance.
If the author designated the word “The” as part of the nickname used in place of the name, you may capitalize.
Maternal grandmother – will this be capitalized in a sentence if it precedes a personal name or in place of a personal name?
If yes, is it maternal Grandmother or Maternal Grandmother?
Thank you in advance
One can safely say that one has only one maternal grandmother (biologically speaking – we’re not counting step or in-law relations). One also would rarely if ever use “maternal grandmother” in a direct address: Maternal Grandmother Mary, are you baking a pie?
The noun phrase would used be descriptively, and it would be punctuated as a non-restricted appositive: my maternal grandmother, Mary.
Good day! Just for clarification please.
If yes, is it maternal Grandmother or Maternal Grandmother?
“One can safely say that one has only one maternal grandmother (biologically speaking – we’re not counting step or in-law relations). One also would rarely if ever use “maternal grandmother” in a direct address: Maternal Grandmother Mary, are you baking a pie?”
It’s not used as a direct address but it’s being specific to that particular person.
For example, “History of diabetes on Mother and Maternal Grandmother.”
Would this be correct? (no paraphrasing please)
The terms appear to be in a descriptive or informative context. We would therefore write the phrase as “history of diabetes with the mother and maternal grandmother.”
I’m copy editing a book that uses “Bro” in direct address, e.g. “That’s how we do it, Bro.” BUT “That’s how we do it, little bro.”
It also uses “son” in direct address, but the author has lowercased this throughout. e.g. “I know that, son.”
What do you think is correct for Bro…I’m inclined to lowercase it — and keep it as “little bro” — throughout the manuscript, and keep “son” lowercased, too.
Our house style follows Chicago Manual of Style, but this is more slang, so it’s not clear which variation to use — Bro or bro; son or Son.
Please see our replies of October 23, 2014, to Nicole Hewitt and May 23, 2014, to R. Alan.
“Little brother” and “little bro” would be capitalized in the same manner.
Which is correct?
Son-In-Law Har
or
Son-in-Law Hari
We see no reason to capitalize the word son-in-law. However, if there is a reason to do so, formal writing would typically apply “Son-in-Law.”
What a great site. So on the cover of my book it credits brother authors as in “By the Cargen brothers.”
Is this acceptable? Or “By the Cargen Brothers,” “By The Cargen brothers,” “By: The Cargen brothers”? I am an artist/writer and a grammatical nightmare.
Either “By the Cargen brothers” or “by the Cargen brothers” is acceptable.
Would you capitalize “son” in this phrase?
Father and son story
The words “father” and “son” are used descriptively. Therefore, we would not capitalize either one.
Regarding capitals in speech, if a mother addresses her daughter, not by her name but as “my daughter….,” should that in fact be written with a capital D, as in “my Daughter….”?
Likewise, in speech, a boy addresses his father like this: “Father, ….” But my question again is if he addresses his father as “my father, ….,” should that in fact be written with a capital F (“My Father, ….”)? (Although, it does seem a bit like “our Father, who art in heaven…”)
As mentioned in Rule 2, a kinship name is not capitalized if it is preceded by a possessive pronoun. “My” is a possessive pronoun. Do not capitalize “My daughter” or “My father.”
For an obituary would you say, “The deceased was survived by her Aunts Susan and Jane” or “… her aunts, Susan and Jane”?
“The deceased was survived by her aunts, Susan and Jane.”
What about shorthand versions like bro or sis? They don’t look right capitalized.
Descriptive forms of address such as “bro” and “sis” would not be capitalized.
Does the following require an upper case D and an upper case S?
Thank you for your feedback, the picture is of Scott’s Daughter Eve and George’s Son, Scott.
The common nouns “daughter” and “son” do not require capitalization. In addition, to avoid a run-on sentence, we would treat your text in one of the following ways:
Thank you for your feedback; the picture is of Scott’s daughter Eve and George’s son, Scott. OR
Thank you for your feedback. The picture is of Scott’s daughter Eve and George’s son, Scott.