There are plenty of examples in the history of the English language of decapitalization (and simplification) of common words that entered the language as unique, named entities. Words that were capitalized come to be written all in lower case. Multi-word expressions are joined by a hyphen and later condensed into a single un-hyphenated word. These processes are evident in generic terms derived from former brand names, such as frisbee (from Frisbee) and bandaid or band-aid (from Band-Aid, originally Band Aid), as well as in acronyms such as scuba (from SCUBA, or Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus).

lil:

Capital letters are speed bumps for the eyes when reading. They should be eliminated where possible. Thanks for posting this. The author, Susan Herring, gives a comprehensive history of the capitalization issue. I was aware of the 2004 decision by Wired to decapitalize internet. I wasn't aware that it had been recapped when Wired changed ownership. She even speaks about why it might matter and how writing style subtly influences culture and how culture influences writing.

posted 3105 days ago