Appendix:English capitonyms
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The following are English capitonyms, words that have different meanings when they are lowercase and capitalized:
Etymologically unrelated
[edit]- not involving personal, people- or place- names
- Lent and lent: The period before Easter, the past tense of lend
- March and march: A month and an organized demonstration or journey
- May and may: A month and a modal verb
- involving people-group or place names
- English and english: Relating to England, its people, or their language, and to fancy spinning
- German and german: Relating to Germany or Germans, and kin
- Ionic and ionic: Relating to Ionia or a kind of column, and having or relating to ions
- Mobile and mobile: A city in Alabama and the quality of being able to be transported
- Mosaic and mosaic: Relating to Moses; a pattern of arranged small tiles
- Nice and nice: A French city; pleasant
- Oma and oma: A place in Tibet, and a grandmother
- Polish and polish: Relating to Poland or its people or main language, and a substance that covers a surface with a sheen
- Pole and pole: A member of this people; a rod
- Rhodie and rhodie: Relating to the formerly asserted state of Rhodesia and its adherents, or a flowering shrub
- Scotch and scotch: The people of Scotland or their whisky, and to cut or score
- involving personal names
- Ares and ares: The Greek god of war (from Ἄρης (Árēs); Latin Mars) and the plural of the area measure are
- Erica and erica: A name and a heather
- Grant and grant: A male personal name and an allowance or allotted money awarded without having to be paid back
- Job and job: A Biblical figure and employment
Etymologically related
[edit]- not involving personal, people- or place- names
- August and august: A calendar month, and something awe-inspiring
- Cancer and cancer: An astrological sign, and a disease
- Catholic and catholic: A Western Christian religious group, and something universal
- Divine and divine: Something related to God, and several common meanings
- Titanic and titanic: Relating to giant Greek gods or a famous huge steamship named after them, and several common meanings relating to hugeness/greatness/strength or to titanium metal
- involving people-group or place names
- Arabic and arabic: Relating to a Semitic people or their language, and a synonym for gum arabic
- Belleek and belleek: A place in Ireland, and pottery originally named therefor
- Bohemian and bohemian: Related to the region of Czechia and something unconventional, casual, or nonconformist
- Bourbon and bourbon: A French surname and namesake dynasty, and American whiskey whose name indirectly descends from the surname
- Brandywine and brandywine: A river in the United States, and distilled spirits
- Cashmere and cashmere: A region in Asia, and a breed of goat developed there, its hair, or fabric woven therefrom
- Champagne and champagne: A region in France, and sparkling wine named therefor
- Cheviot and cheviot: A region in Great Britain, and a breed of sheep developed there, its wool, or fabric woven therefrom
- China and china: A country in Asia, and porcelain originally named therefor
- Cognac and cognac: A city in France, and distilled spirits named therefor
- French and french: Relating to the people of France or their main language, or to cut food or kiss using tongue
- Gallic and gallic: Relating to France or Gaul, and relating to galls
- Holland and holland: A country in Europe, and a fabric originally named therefor
- Italic and italic: Relating to the Italian peninsula and its languages, and typeset in italics
- Japan and japan: A country in Asia, and a shiny coating originally named therefor
- Madeira and madeira: An island region of Portugal, and fortified wine named therefor
- Madras and madras: A city in India, and a fabric originally named therefor
- Mandarin and mandarin: Chinese (language), and an official
- Marsala and marsala: A town on the island of Sicily, and fortified wine named therefor, or a sauce made from that wine
- Mercury and mercury: The planet closest the sun, and an element, quicksilver
- Mikado and mikado: The emperor of Japan, and a fabric originally named therefor
- Orient and orient: The East; to align or direct towards a certain point
- Porto and porto: A city in Portugal, and fortified wine named therefor
- Shantung and shantung: A province of China, and a silken fabric originally named therefor
- Shetland and shetland: A set of Scottish islands, and a breed of sheep developed there, its wool, or fabric woven therefrom
- Sherpa and sherpa: A Central Asian people group, and a mountaineering specialist
- Swede and swede: A person coming from Sweden, and a round vegetable also known as rutabaga
- Swiss and swiss: (A person) from Switzerland and a verb for preparing meat or fabric
- Welsh and welsh: Relating to Wales or its people, and to swindle by not paying a debt
- involving personal names
- Bill and bill: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a beak or a poster
- Bismarck and bismarck: A leader, and a dessert pastry
- Dick and dick: A given name and a jerk
- Diesel and diesel: A pioneer of compression-ignition engines, and any engine of the type named for him, or the type of fuel oil that it burns
- Drew and drew: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and the past tense of "draw"
- Harry and harry: A given name and to pester or harass
- Heather and heather: A given name and a plant family
- Jack and jack: A given name and a lifting device
- John and john: A given name and a toilet
- Norm and norm: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a standard
- Peg and peg: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and a short piece of dowel
- Rich and rich: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and the wealthy
- Sally and sally: A given name and a forward movement or a willow tree
- Tom and tom: A given name and a male cat
- Ted and ted: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and to stir half-dried hay to aid its further drying
- Will and will: A clipped familiar form of a given name, and volition or a document
- Zerk and zerk: A man who developed a type of grease fitting, and any grease fitting of that type
- involving company or brand names and their genericization (descriptively widespread, irrespective of legal status of trademarks)
- Aspirin and aspirin: A brand of acetylsalicylic acid (in some countries), or any acetylsalicylic acid (in various other countries)
- Coke and coke: A popular brand of soft drink, or any soft drink (in Southern U.S.)
- Google and google: A popular brand of search engine, or to do a search therewith
- Xerox and xerox: The company that developed xerography, or to make a copy with that process, or any copy made therewith