Capitalization of the pronoun 'I'

[Genady]

Why the pronoun 'I' is capitalized in English? Is it so because of it being a one-letter word?

[exchemist]

6 minutes ago, Genady said:

Why the pronoun 'I' is capitalized in English? Is it so because of it being a one-letter word?

Good question. I have no idea. That would be a good one for Suzie Dent, our charming TV lexicographer. 🙂

[geordief]

14 minutes ago, Genady said:

Why the pronoun 'I' is capitalized in English? Is it so because of it being a one-letter word?

https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/whycapitali/#:~:text=For a long time%2C it,is intended to stand alone.

"

Reasons why I is always capitalized

Hard to believe, but there were no rules for capitalization until the 1700s. For a long time, it was common to mix lowercase and capital letters within a word, the latter used to add emphasis. Historians now attribute the capitalization of I as a result of two factors:

• The lowercase i is difficult to read: By capitalizing I, it makes it more clear that the letter is intended to stand alone.
• An uppercase I symbolizes importance of the writer: The I has retained the capitalization because it also gives added weight to this pronoun used to describe the individual writer. Some languages do capitalize different pronouns,"

[Genady]

4 minutes ago, geordief said:

https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/whycapitali/#:~:text=For a long time%2C it,is intended to stand alone.

"

Reasons why I is always capitalized

Hard to believe, but there were no rules for capitalization until the 1700s. For a long time, it was common to mix lowercase and capital letters within a word, the latter used to add emphasis. Historians now attribute the capitalization of I as a result of two factors:

• The lowercase i is difficult to read: By capitalizing I, it makes it more clear that the letter is intended to stand alone.
• An uppercase I symbolizes importance of the writer: The I has retained the capitalization because it also gives added weight to this pronoun used to describe the individual writer. Some languages do capitalize different pronouns,"

I don't believe the two reasons you've quoted, but later on the same page they say,

Quote

The letter I continues to be capitalized because it is the only single-letter pronoun.

which goes along my original hypothesis.

I compare it with Russian, where it is not capitalized (я). It is as "difficult to read" and has as much "importance of the writer" as in English, but unlike in English, there are plenty of other one-letter words in Russian, e.g., 'in' (в), 'at' (у), 'to' (к), 'about' (о), 'and' (и), 'with' (с).

[studiot]

Just now, Genady said:

Why the pronoun 'I' is capitalized in English? Is it so because of it being a one-letter word?

Yes I agree with exchemist that is a very good question.  +1

The use of I in capitals goes back a long way, the earliest reference I (😀) can find is

Preface to Eneydos  1490   William Caxton

Where the English is recognizable.

Quote

And certaynly our language now used varyeth ferre from that whiche was used and spoken when I was borne........

Notes

Caxton was a writer as well as a printer.

The spellung is original, not my usual typing dislexia.

Secondly English followed Latin in many ways for instance using Latin numerals.

Think what would happen if we wrote 7  Vii or worse  VIi  ?

 

Chaucer was to far back and too different to be any help.

[geordief]

59 minutes ago, Genady said:

I don't believe the two reasons you've quoted, but later on the same page they say,

which goes along my original hypothesis.

I compare it with Russian, where it is not capitalized (я). It is as "difficult to read" and has as much "importance of the writer" as in English, but unlike in English, there are plenty of other one-letter words in Russian, e.g., 'in' (в), 'at' (у), 'to' (к), 'about' (о), 'and' (и), 'with' (с).

Mark Knopfler has written a song about this 

It is called Why Aye,Man?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KrwSDX95wCs

(not one of my favourites)

It feels strange when you question  something I assume all native english speakers and readers  just assume is part of the natural  fabric of the language .

( these days I sometimes  don't bother to correct myself when I write "i" instead  of "I'  but it feels very sloppy)

 

[studiot]

I would also add that English I follows Latin in that it is always in the nominative case.

The accusative case, which is used by some languages is me in English.

So

It is I is correct

It is me is incorrect.

 

Finally the Oxford English does not even offer a word i in the lower case, only the upper case.

So I am inclined to agree with genady.

[Genady]

3 minutes ago, geordief said:

these days I sometimes  don't bother to correct myself when I write "i" instead  of "I'  but it feels very sloppy

You are not alone: The death of capital letters: why gen Z loves lowercase | Young people | The Guardian (I know that you are not in gen Z.)

[geordief]

11 minutes ago, studiot said:

I would also add that English I follows Latin in that it is always in the nominative case.

The accusative case, which is used by some languages is me in English.

So

It is I is correct

It is me is incorrect.

 

Finally the Oxford English does not even offer a word i in the lower case, only the upper case.

So I am inclined to agree with genady.

"It was me whom  they  buried" or "It was I who(m?) they buried"?

(Not disagreeing with you,though)

 

23 minutes ago, studiot said:

Yes I agree with exchemist that is a very good question.  +1

The use of I in capitals goes back a long way, the earliest reference I (😀) can find is

Preface to Eneydos  1490   William Caxton

Where the English is recognizable.

Notes

Caxton was a writer as well as a printer.

The spellung is original, not my usual typing dislexia.

Secondly English followed Latin in many ways for instance using Latin numerals.

Think what would happen if we wrote 7  Vii or worse  VIi  ?

 

Chaucer was to far back and too different to be any help.

That quote observing the  swift changing of the language  within a (then) presumanly short  lifetime is so surprising when it feels that it should be  a phenomenon much more typical of our fast moving information age.

Plus ça change  and all that.

[swansont]

As with most grammar and punctuation, it’s a convention that was adopted. People decided it was to be capitalized. 

I suspect the reasons that are presented are “just-so” stories rather than historical facts

A lot of these rules were driven by typesetters, either for ease of printing or ease of reading. If it was because typesetters tended to run short of lower-case “i” in their kit, so they decided to capitalize the pronoun, would that decision have been recorded for posterity? 

[Genady]

2 hours ago, studiot said:

Think what would happen if we wrote 7  Vii or worse  VIi  ?

Something like it is actually often done in books, e.g.,

8 minutes ago, swansont said:

As with most grammar and punctuation, it’s a convention that was adopted. People decided it was to be capitalized. 

I suspect the reasons that are presented are “just-so” stories rather than historical facts

A lot of these rules were driven by typesetters, either for ease of printing or ease of reading. If it was because typesetters tended to run short of lower-case “i” in their kit, so they decided to capitalize the pronoun, would that decision have been recorded for posterity? 

OTOH, if it were by some king's decree, it would. So, the lack of a clear answer is a partial answer.

[studiot]

Just now, geordief said:

"It was me whom  they  buried" or "It was I who(m?) they buried"?

(Not disagreeing with you,though)

That i8s the difference between the active voice and the passive voice, not the difference between nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object.

For example

In December, Fred buried me.    Active case Subject -  Fred  object -  me  (accusative case of the 1st person singular)

In December I was buried by Fred.  Passive case Subject  - I

"Fred buried I" is wrong unless you are in a West Country pub where they do say pharases like "Fred buried I" .

But then they also say "Dorset be beautiful"

 

😀

[geordief]

1 hour ago, studiot said:

That i8s the difference between the active voice and the passive voice, not the difference between nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object.

For example

In December, Fred buried me.    Active case Subject -  Fred  object -  me  (accusative case of the 1st person singular)

In December I was buried by Fred.  Passive case Subject  - I

"Fred buried I" is wrong unless you are in a West Country pub where they do say pharases like "Fred buried I" .

But then they also say "Dorset be beautiful"

 

😀

Which it do be!

[studiot]

Just now, geordief said:

do be

I thought they were brothers !

🤑

[TheVat]

14 hours ago, Genady said:

Why the pronoun 'I' is capitalized in English? Is it so because of it being a one-letter word?

Maybe.  Probably no single reason, because a lot of conventions in language just happen, a sort of evolution without any authoritative oversight. 

I often don't capitalize i or i'm or i'd when it is not starting a sentence, a habit developed from using tablets and flip phones a lot, where uppercase will be more trouble.  (i dont thumb type well, so i will also leave out apostrophes and other punctuation that isnt absolutely necessary)

I like that Russian doesn't bother with articles and yet meaning is clear from context.  🙂

[Genady]

11 hours ago, TheVat said:

I like that Russian doesn't bother with articles and yet meaning is clear from context.  🙂

Yes, but it did not help to start using an article in Hebrew and two articles in English.

P.S. Papiamentu doesn't bother with articles either.