Car brand Moskvich is a proper or common noun. Lesson summary "proper and common nouns"

It is customary to classify many nouns denoting persons, objects and phenomena in accordance with the object of naming - this is how the division into a common noun and a proper noun appeared.

Common nouns VS onyms

Common nouns (otherwise known as appellatives) name objects that have a certain common set of characteristics and belong to one or another class of objects or phenomena. For example: boy, peach, sturgeon, meeting, mourning, pluralism, rebellion.

Proper names, or onyms, name single objects or individuals, for example: writer Mikhail Evgrafovich Saltykov-Shchedrin, city Essentuki, painting " Girl with peaches", television center " Ostankino».

Proper names and common nouns, examples of which we gave above, are traditionally opposed to each other, since they have different meaning and do not coincide in the scope of their functioning.

Typology of common nouns

A common noun in the Russian language forms special lexical and grammatical categories, the words in which are grouped depending on the type of object of naming:

1. Specific names (they are also called “specific-subject”) serve as names for persons, living beings, and objects. These words vary in numbers and are combined with cardinal numerals: teacher - teachers - first teacher; chick - chicks; cube - cubes.

2. Abstract, or abstract, nouns name a state, attribute, action, result: success, hope, creativity, merit.

3. Real, or material, nouns (they are also called “concretely material”) - semantically specific words that name specific substances. These words most often do not have a correlative form plural. There are the following groups of real nouns: nominations of food products ( butter, sugar, tea), names medicines (iodine, streptocide), names chemical substances (fluorine, beryllium), minerals and metals ( potassium, magnesium, iron), other substances ( crushed stone, snow). Such common nouns, examples of which are given above, can be used in the plural form. This is appropriate if we're talking about about the types and varieties of any substance: wines, cheeses; about the space that is filled with this substance: Sands of the Sahara, neutral waters.

4.Collective nouns name a certain set of homogeneous objects, a unity of persons or other living beings: foliage, students, nobility.

"Shifts" in the meaning of common nouns

Sometimes a common noun contains in its meaning an indication not only of a certain class of objects, but also of some very specific object within its class. This happens if:

• The individual characteristics of the object as such are ignored: for example, there is folk sign « If you kill a spider, forty sins will be forgiven", and in this context we do not mean any specific spider, but absolutely any one.
• In the situation described, we mean one specific item of a given class: for example, “ Come, let's sit on the bench“- the interlocutors know where exactly the meeting place is.
• Individual characteristics of an object can be described by explanatory definitions: for example: “ I can't forget the wonderful day we met“- the speaker singles out a specific day among a series of other days.

Transition of nouns from onyms to appellatives

Individual proper names are sometimes used to generally designate a number of homogeneous objects, then they turn into common nouns. Examples: Derzhimorda, Don Juan; Napoleon cake; Colt, Mauser, revolver; ohm, ampere

Proper names that have become appellatives are called eponyms. IN modern speech They are usually used to make humorous or derogatory remarks about someone: Aesculapius(doctor), pele(football player) Schumacher(racer, lover of fast driving).

An animate common noun can also become an eponym if this is the name of any product or establishment: candy " Bear in the north", oil " Kuban Burenka", restaurant " Senator».

Nomenclature units and eponymous trademarks

The class of eponyms also includes any given name an object or phenomenon that begins to be used as a common noun for the entire class of similar objects. Examples of eponyms include words such as " diaper, tampax, photocopier, in modern speech used as a common noun.

The transition of the trademark's own name to the category of eponyms eliminates the value and uniqueness in the perception of the manufacturer's brand. Yes, an American corporation Xerox, which introduced the world to a machine for copying documents for the first time in 1947, “erased” from in English common noun xerox, replacing it with photocopier And photocopy. In Russian the words " xerox, photocopying, photocopies" and even " photocopy" turned out to be more tenacious, since there is no more suitable word; " photocopy" and its derivatives are not very good options.

A similar situation is with the product of the American transnational company Procter & Gamble - diapers Pampers. Any diapers from another company with similar moisture-absorbing properties are called diapers.

Spelling proper and common nouns

The common noun rule that regulates the spelling norm in the Russian language recommends writing with a lowercase letter: baby, grasshopper, dream, prosperity, secularization.

Onims also have their own spelling system, however, it is simple:

Typically these nouns are capitalized: Tatyana Larina, Paris, Academician Koroleva street, dog Sharik.

When used with a generic word, the onym forms its own name, denoting the name of a brand, event, establishment, enterprise, etc.; This naming is capitalized and enclosed in quotation marks: VDNH metro station, musical Chicago, novel Eugene Onegin, Russian Booker Prize.

The use of terminology in defining parts of speech and their varieties is common among philologists. For common man Often all sorts of sophisticated names seem like something unclear and complex. Many schoolchildren are unable to understand abstract terms denoting types of parts of speech, and they turn to their parents for help. Adults have to look again at textbooks or search for information on the Internet.

Today we will try to talk in simple and understandable Russian about what proper and common nouns are, how they differ, how to find them and use them correctly in speech and text.

What part of speech?

Before determining the part of speech in Russian, you need to correctly ask a question about the word and determine what it means. If the word you chose matches the questions “who?” or “what?”, but it denotes an object, then it is a noun. This simple truth is easily learned even by schoolchildren, and many adults remember it. But the question of whether the noun in front of you is a proper or a common noun can already confuse a person. Let's try to figure out what these linguistic definitions mean.

The answer is in meaning

All words belonging to the part of speech we are considering are divided into several types and categories according to different signs. One of the classifications is the division into proper and common nouns. It is not so difficult to distinguish them, you just need to understand the meaning of the word. If an individual specific person or some single object is called, then it is proper, and if the meaning of the word indicates common name many similar objects, persons or phenomena, then this is a common noun.

Let's explain this with examples. The word "Alexandra" is proper because it denotes the name of an individual person. The words “girl, girl, woman” are common nouns because they represent a general name for all female persons. The difference becomes clear, and it lies in the meaning.

Names and nicknames

It is customary to classify several groups of words as proper nouns.

The first consists of the person’s first name, patronymic and last name, as well as his nickname or pseudonym. This also includes cat, dog and other animal names. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, Murka, Pushinka, Sharik, Druzhok - these names distinguish one specific creature from others of their own kind. If we select a common noun for the same objects, we can say: poet, cat, dog.

Names on the map

The second group of words consists of names of various geographical objects. Let's give examples: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Washington, Neva, Volga, Rhine, Russia, France, Norway, Europe, Africa, Australia. For comparison, we also give a common noun corresponding to the given names: city, river, country, continent.

Space objects

The third group includes various astronomical names. These are, for example, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Solar System, Milky Way. Each of the given names is a proper name, and you can choose a common noun generalized in meaning to it. Examples of named objects correspond to the words planet, galaxy.

Names and brands

Another group of words that belong to proper ones are various names anything - shops, cafes, literary works, paintings, magazines, newspapers and so on. In the phrase “Magnit store,” the first is a common noun, and the second is a proper noun. Let's give more similar examples: the "Chocolate Girl" cafe, the novel "War and Peace", the painting "Water", the magazine "Murzilka", the newspaper "Arguments and Facts", the sailing ship "Sedov", the Babaevsky plant, gas stove"Hephaestus", "Consultant Plus" system, "Chardonnay" wine, "Napoleon" cake, batch " United Russia", Nika award, Alyonka chocolate, Ruslan airplane.

Spelling features

Since proper names indicate a specific individual object, distinguishing it from all other similar ones, they also stand out in writing - they are written with a capital letter. Children learn this at the very beginning of their schooling: surnames, first names, patronymics, designations on the map, animal names, and other names of something are written with a capital letter. Examples: Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Vanka, Ivan Kalita, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Novgorod, Angara, Cyprus, Turkey, Australia, Zhuchka, Pushok, Murzik.

There is another feature of writing proper nouns, it concerns the names of factories, firms, enterprises, ships, periodicals (newspapers and magazines), works of art and literature, feature films, documentaries and other films, performances, cars, drinks, cigarettes and other similar things. words Such names are not only written with a capital letter, but also enclosed in quotation marks. In philological science they are called by their proper names. Examples: Niva car, Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, Mayak radio, poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, Chanel perfume, Za Rulem magazine, Troika cigarettes, Fanta drink, Prosveshcheniye publishing house , Abba group, Kinotavr festival.

A proper noun begins with a capital letter, and a common noun begins with a lowercase letter. This simple rule often helps a person in determining spelling standards. This rule is easy to remember, but sometimes there are difficulties. As you know, the Russian language is rich in its exceptions to every rule. IN school curriculum such complex cases are not included, and therefore in the assignments of the Russian language textbook, even junior schoolchildren They can easily determine from the first letter in a word whether it is a proper or a common noun.

Conversion of a proper name into a common noun and vice versa

As noted above, a common noun is a generalized name for something. But the Russian language is a living, changing system, and sometimes various transformations and changes occur in it: sometimes common nouns become proper nouns. For example: earth - land, Earth - planet solar system. Universal human values, designated by the common nouns love, faith and hope, have long become female names- Faith Hope Love. In the same way, some animal nicknames and other names arise: Ball, Snowball, etc.

The reverse process also occurs in Russian, when proper nouns become household names. Thus, the unit was named after the Italian physicist Volta electrical voltage- volt. Master's name musical instruments Sax has become the common noun "saxophone". The Dutch city of Bruges gave its name to the word "trousers". The names of the great gunsmiths - Mauser, Colt, Nagan - became the names of pistols. And there are many such examples in the language.

In any language, the proper name occupies an important place. It appeared in ancient times, when people began to understand and differentiate objects, which required assigning them separate names. The designation of objects occurred based on its features or functions so that the name contains data about the subject in a symbolic or factual form. Over time, proper names have become a subject of interest in various areas: geography, literature, psychology, history and of course, linguistics.

The originality and meaningfulness of the phenomenon being studied led to the emergence of the science of proper names - onomastics.

A proper name is a noun that names an object or phenomenon in a specific sense, distinguishing it from other similar objects or phenomena, distinguishing them from a group of homogeneous concepts.

An important feature of this name is that it is associated with the named object and carries information about it without affecting the concept. They are written with a capital letter, and sometimes the names are put in quotation marks (Mariinsky Theater, Peugeot car, play Romeo and Juliet).

Proper names, or onyms, are used in the singular or plural. The plural appears in cases where several objects have similar designations. For example, the Sidorov family, the namesake Ivanovs.

Functions of proper names

Proper names, as units of language, perform various functions:

1. Nominative- assigning names to objects or phenomena.
2. Identifying- selecting a specific item from a variety.
3. Differentiating- the difference between an object and similar objects within the same class.
4. Expressive-emotional function- expression of a positive or negative attitude towards the object of the nomination.
5. Communicative- nomination of a person, object or phenomenon during communication.
6. Deictic- an indication of an object at the moment of pronouncing its name.

Classification of onyms

Proper names in all their originality are divided into many types:

1. Anthroponyms - names of people:

• name (Ivan, Alexey, Olga);
• surname (Sidorov, Ivanov, Brezhnev);
• patronymic (Viktorovich, Aleksandrovna);
• nickname (Gray - for the name Sergei, Lame - after external sign);
• pseudonym (Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov - Lenin, Joseph Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili - Stalin).

2. Toponyms - geographical names:

• oikonyms - settlements(Moscow, Berlin, Tokyo);
• hydronyms - rivers (Danube, Seine, Amazon);
• oronyms - mountains (Alps, Andes, Carpathians);
• horonyms - large spaces, countries, regions (Japan, Siberia).

3. Zoonyms - animal names (Murka, Sharik, Kesha).

4. Documentonyms - acts, laws (Archimedes' law, Peace Pact).

5. Other names:

• television and radio programs (“ Blue bird", "Time");
• vehicles (“Titanic”, “Volga”);
• periodicals (Cosmopolitan magazine, Times newspaper);
• literary works(“War and Peace”, “Dowry”);
• names of holidays (Easter, Christmas);
• trade marks(“Pepsi”, “McDonald’s”);
• organizations, enterprises, teams (Abba group, Grand Theatre);
• natural disasters (Hurricane Jose).

Relationship between common nouns and proper nouns

When talking about a proper name, one cannot fail to mention the common noun. They are distinguished by object nominations.

Thus, a common noun, or appellative, names objects, persons or phenomena that have one or more common features and represent a separate category.

• cat, river, country - a common noun;
• cat Murka, Ob River, country Colombia - proper name.

The differences between proper names and common nouns are also of great interest in scientific circles. This issue was studied by such linguists as N.V. Podolskaya, A.V. Superanskaya, L.V. Shcherba, A.A. Ufimtseva, A.A. Reformatsky and many others. Researchers are looking at these phenomena different sides, sometimes arriving at contradictory results. Despite this, specific features of onyms are identified:

1. Onims name objects within a class, while common nouns name the class itself.
2. A proper name is assigned to an individual object, and not to the set to which it belongs, despite common features, characteristic of this set.
3. The object of the nomination is always specifically defined.
4. Although both proper names and common nouns are connected by the framework of the nominative function, the former only name objects, while the latter also highlight the concept of them.
5. Onims are derived from appellatives.

Sometimes proper names can be converted into common nouns. The process of converting an onym into a common noun is called appellation, and reverse action- onymization.

Thanks to this, words are filled with new shades of meaning and expand the boundaries of their meaning. For example, the personal name of the creator of the pistol, S. Colt, has become a household name and is often used in speech to nominate this type. firearms.

As an example of appeal, one can cite the transition of the common noun “earth” in the meaning of “soil”, “land”, into the onym “Earth” - “planet”. Thus, using a common noun as the name of something, it can become an onym (revolution - Revolution Square).

In addition, names often become common nouns literary heroes. Thus, in honor of the hero of the work of the same name by I. A. Goncharov, Oblomov, the term “Oblomovism” arose, which denotes inactive behavior.

Translation Features

Particularly difficult is the translation of proper names, both into Russian and from Russian into foreign languages.

It is impossible to translate onyms based on semantic meaning. It is carried out using:

• transcriptions (recording the translated Cyrillic alphabet while retaining the original sound series);
• transliteration (correlating letters of the Russian language with foreign ones using a special table);
• transpositions (when onyms differing in form have the same origin, for example, the name Mikhail in Russian, and Mikhailo in Ukrainian).

Transliteration is considered the least used method of translating onyms. They resort to it in the case of processing international documents and foreign passports.

Incorrect translation can lead to misinformation and misinterpretation of the meaning of what was said or written. When translating, you should adhere to several principles:

1. Use reference materials (encyclopedias, atlases, reference books) to clarify words;
2. Try to make a translation based on the most accurate possible pronunciation or meaning of the name;
3. Use the rules of transliteration and transcription to translate onyms from the source language.

To summarize, we can say that onyms are distinguished by their richness and diversity. The originality of types and an extensive system of functions characterize them, and therefore onomastics, as the most important branch of linguistic knowledge. Proper names enrich, fill, develop the Russian language, and support interest in learning it.

Nouns name objects, phenomena or concepts. These meanings are expressed using the categories of gender, number and case. All nouns belong to the groups of proper and common nouns. Proper nouns, which serve as names of individual objects, are contrasted with common nouns, which denote generalized names of homogeneous objects.

Instructions

For determining common nouns determine whether the named object or phenomenon belongs to the class of homogeneous objects (city, person, song). The grammatical feature of common nouns is the category of number, i.e. using them in singular and plural (cities, people, songs). Please note that most real, abstract and collective nouns does not have a plural form (gasoline, inspiration, youth).

To determine proper nouns, determine whether the name is an individual designation of an object, i.e. does it make it stand out? Name» an object from a number of similar ones (Moscow, Russia, Sidorov). Proper nouns name first and last names of persons and names of animals (Nekrasov, Pushok, Fru-fru) - geographical and astronomical objects (America, Stockholm, Venus) - institutions, organizations, print media (Pravda newspaper, Spartak team, store "El Dorado").

Proper names, as a rule, do not change in number and are used only in the singular (Voronezh) or only in the plural (Sokolniki). Please note that there are exceptions to this rule. Proper nouns are used in the plural form if they denote different persons and objects with the same names (both Americas, namesake Petrovs) - persons who are related (the Fedorov family). Also, proper nouns can be used in the plural form if they name a certain type of people, “selected” according to the qualitative characteristics of a famous literary character. Please note that in this meaning, nouns lose the attribute of belonging to a group of individual objects, therefore it is acceptable to use both capital and lowercase letters (Chichikovs, Famusovs, Pechorins).

A spelling feature that distinguishes proper and common nouns is the use of capital letters and quotation marks. At the same time, all proper names are always written with a capital letter, and the names of institutions, organizations, works, objects are used as appendices and are enclosed in quotation marks (the motor ship “Fedor Shalyapin”, Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”). The application may include any part of speech, but the first word is always written with a capital letter (Daniel Defoe’s novel “The Life and Amazing Adventures of the Sailor Robinson Crusoe”).

When opening a new Internet resource, one of the most complex problems becomes the choice of a suitable name. This process is further complicated by the fact that most monosyllabic domain names are already taken by more agile Internet startups. But there is still a way out.

You will need

• - resource brand book;
• - a list of theses with the semantic meaning of the title.

Instructions

Divide the process of choosing a name into two successive stages: choosing a name for the resource itself and choosing a domain name. First of all, you need to find optimal options for the title. It is necessary to determine the main goals and objectives of the resource, the content creation policy and the style of presentation of the material. It does not matter whether the resource is commercial in nature or not.

Create a list of abstracts for the future title based on the accepted brand book. They should outline the informative and emotional content of the future name. There are no clear restrictions when compiling such a list: these can be nouns and verbs, proper and common nouns, they can express emotions and sensations.

Gather an initiative group of employees related to the resource and brainstorm. To increase efficiency, all participants should be given a task in advance to compile a list of theses. At their own discretion, everyone should draw up a free written description of the most important informative features of the future site name. During a brainstorming session, ask everyone to read out their list one by one and, through peer discussion, choose the best suggestions.

Summarize your brainstorming and make a final list of talking points. Based on them, each of the members initiative group must make a list of names and titles. It is best to limit the number of possible options by quantity.

Collect the suggested lists and try to find a few of the most suitable names. After this, check whether the same domain names are available, including in the Russian Federation zone. If you do not find an exact match, take up space, otherwise try modifying the site name by using acceptable punctuation marks, numbers instead of letters, etc.

His definition is simple. Essentially, a common noun is a word that denotes people, animals, objects, abstract ideas and concepts. These do not include words meaning names of people, names of places, countries, cities, etc. These nouns are classified as proper nouns.

Thus, country is a common noun, and Russia is a proper name. Puma is the name of a wild animal, and in this case the noun puma is a common noun. And as the name of a well-known company that produces sportswear and shoes, Puma is a proper name.

Even in the first half of the last century, the word “apple” was unthinkable in the use of a proper name. It was used in its original meaning: that is, apple, fruit, fruit of the apple tree. Now Apple is both a proper noun and a common noun.

This happened after an unsuccessful three-month search by the partners for a suitable name for the company, when, in desperation, the company's founder, Steve Jobs, decided to name it after his favorite fruit. The name has become a truly iconic American brand producing tablet computers, phones, software.

Finding examples of common nouns will not be difficult. Let's start with those around us household items. Imagine: you wake up in the morning. What do you see when you open your eyes? Of course, an alarm clock. An alarm clock is an object that wakes us up in the morning, and from a linguistic point of view, it is a common noun. Leaving the house, you meet your neighbor. There are a lot of hurrying people on the street. You notice that the sky has frowned. Get on the bus and go to the office. Neighbor, people, sky, office, bus, street - common nouns

Types of common nouns

In Russian, common nouns are divided into 4 main types:

1. Specific concepts (people, animals, objects, plants). These are designations of objects/persons in the singular: student, neighbor, classmate, seller, driver, cat, puma, house, table, apple. Such nouns can be combined with
2. Abstract concepts. This is a type of noun with an abstract abstract meaning. They can denote phenomena, scientific concepts, characteristics, states, qualities: peace, war, friendship, suspicion, danger, kindness, relativity.
3. Real nouns. As the name suggests, these nouns denote substances. These may include medicinal products, food products, chemical elements, Construction Materials, coal, petroleum, oil, aspirin, flour, sand, oxygen, silver.
4. Collective nouns. These nouns represent a collection of persons or objects that are united and belong to a certain conceptual category: midges, infantry, foliage, relatives, youth, people. Such nouns are usually used in the singular. Often combined with the words a lot (a little), a little: a lot of midges, a little youth. Some of them can be used as people - peoples.