Introduction
The Mississippi River is one of the longest winding rivers in the world, and is one of the most expressive and romantic rivers in the United States. It’s been immortalized by music, books, and films, and its many historical and environmental features have made it one of the most economically significant rivers the world over. However, one must question whether the Mississippi River should be capitalized or not.
Overview
The debate over whether to capitalize the ‘M’ of Mississippi River dates as far back as the 1800s. In most cases, it’s generally accepted that certain proper nouns should always be written with a capital letter, and so most people tend to capitalize it when discussing the river either in a formal or informal context.
However, there are some who believe that because the Mississippi River is not the name of a person, nor is it an officially designated title, that it should not be capitalized. Other experts point out that ocean, bay and lake are rarely capitalized, so by that same logic Mississippi River should not be capitalized either.
Historical Context
It’s widely accepted that the first use of the name “Mississippi River” dates all the way back to the 16th century when both French explorers and Native Americans living in the region began referring to the river by that name. By the 19th century, the widespread use of the name almost always included a capital letter for the word “Mississippi”.
In the early 21st century, however, the capitalization of the word became a matter of contention, and there was a move towards the non-capitalization of the word. This was mainly due to popular usage of both the lower and upper case forms of the word. Even the official Mississippi River Commission itself seemed to waver on the issue, and so the capitalization of the word has remained a point of contention.
Grammar Rules
When it comes to the correct usage of the Mississippi River, it’s important to keep in mind certain grammar rules. Although, it’s generally accepted that proper nouns should always be capitalized, river is not a proper noun, nor is it an officially designated title. This means that the correct usage of the term would actually be to write it in lower case, i.e. mississippi river, instead of Mississippi River.
The general rule behind this is that nouns that are not proper nouns or titles, should be written in lower case letters. This way, you are adhering to the conventions of proper English grammar, and avoiding any potential confusion.
Linguistic Trends
In an effort to keep up with linguistic trends, some people have begun writing mississippi river in all lower case letters. This is mainly due to the fact that there is no consistent norm when it comes to the capitalization of the word, and so it often causes confusion when talking about the river. By writing the word in lower case, it’s much easier to avoid any potential confusion.
Furthermore, by writing the word in lower case, you are actually adhering to the conventions of proper English grammar, as nouns that are not proper nouns or titles, should be written in lower case letters. This means that, even though it is still debated, mississippi river should be written in lower case.
Conclusion
In light of all this, it’s clear that mississippi river should be written in lower case letters, as this is the recommended and accepted norm within the English language. Furthermore, this is also the most efficient way to avoid any potential confusion when talking about the river. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that, whether you write it with a capital letter or not, mississippi river will always remain one of the most significant and meaningful rivers in the world.
