<![CDATA[
<BODY LANG="EN" bgcolor="#ffffff"
text="#000000">
<P>
<H3><A NAME="SECTION00044200000000000000">Distinction between <EM>common noun</EM> and <EM>proper noun</EM></A></H3>
<P>
<CENTER>
<TABLE COLS=4 BORDER FRAME=BOX RULES=GROUPS>
<COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT><COLGROUP><COL ALIGN=LEFT>
<TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2>
<B>type=com</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=CENTER NOWRAP COLSPAN=2><B>type=prop</B></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Description</B></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP> <B>Example</B></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>names of products<BR>used as common<BR>nouns</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>cola</B><A NAME="6423"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>names of products</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Coca-Cola</B><A NAME="6431"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>professions,<BR>designations of<BR>persons</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>monsieur<BR></B><A NAME="6457"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL>;<BR>
un <B>docteur</B><A NAME="6465"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL>;<BR>une <B>vierge</B><A NAME="6473"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>titles used as vocatives</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Monsieur</B><A NAME="6481"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL>;<BR><B>Docteur</B><A NAME="6489"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL>;<BR><B>Dr</B><A NAME="6497"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL>;<BR>
la <B>Vierge Marie<BR></B><A NAME="6505"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>currencies as common<BR>nouns</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>franc</B><A NAME="6521"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>currencies</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>100 <B>FF</B><A NAME="6529"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>first or last name used<BR>as common noun</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>il est un vrai<BR><B>tartuffe</B><A NAME="6545"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>first or last name</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP><B>Tartuffe</B><A NAME="6553"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>regional products</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>vin de <B>bourgogne<BR></B><A NAME="6574"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL>;<BR>de l'<B>emmenthal<BR></B><A NAME="6582"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>names of regions</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>Bourgogne<BR></B><A NAME="6590"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL>,<BR> l'<B>Emmenthal<BR></B><A NAME="6598"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>generic geographical<BR>noun</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>des <B>îles</B><A NAME="6621"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL><BR>sauvages</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>names of regions</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>les <B>îles Sauvages<BR></B><A NAME="6631"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>common nouns for<BR>individual objects</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>terre</B><A NAME="6644"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>names of
planets</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>Terre</B><A NAME="6652"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>historical events,<BR>regimes</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>révolution</B><A NAME="6676"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>historical events,<BR>
regimes as proper<BR>nouns</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>Révolution<BR>française</B><A NAME="6688"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>literary, philosophical,<BR>etc., movements</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>le <B>surréalisme<BR></B><A NAME="6707"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>foreign names of<BR>literary, philosophical,<BR>etc., movements with<BR>capital letters</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>le <B>Sturm und<BR>Drang</B><A NAME="6712"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY><TBODY>
<TR><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>abbreviations for<BR>descriptive NPs</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>un <B>HLM</B><A NAME="6728"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=com</FONT></SMALL></TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>abbreviations for<BR>non-descriptive NPs</TD><TD VALIGN=BASELINE ALIGN=LEFT NOWRAP>la <B>CAF</B><A NAME="6736"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>type=prop</FONT></SMALL></TD></TR>
</TBODY>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>
<P>
Notice that for some common nouns the reference to the proper
noun has become lost:
<P>
<EM>Examples</EM>:
<P><DIV ALIGN=LEFT><P ALIGN=LEFT><UL>
<LI> <B>béchamel(le) </B><A NAME="6772"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
<LI> <B>gibus(le)</B><A NAME="6777"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
<LI> <B>macadam</B><A NAME="6785"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
<LI> <B>poubelle</B><A NAME="6793"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
<LI> <B>silhouette</B><A NAME="6801"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
<LI> <B>massicot</B><A NAME="6809"> </A>/<SMALL CLASS=FOOTNOTE><FONT color=#ff0000>pos=n & type=com</FONT></SMALL>
</UL></P></DIV><P>
<P>
<HR>
<P><ADDRESS>
</ADDRESS>
</BODY>
]]>