http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralEnglishGrammarQuestions/Forum12.htmAsk your questions on grammar and get your sentence checked. We answer lots of different types of general English grammar questions here.enCSMOD (Build: 3260.39585)http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/gmxml/post.htm#564343Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:28:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:564343Anonymous0http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/gmxml/post.htm#564343http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-564343.xmlwhat is a compound proper noun?<div style="clear:both;"></div>http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvl/post.htm#25800Wed, 17 Mar 2004 14:24:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25800rommie1http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvl/post.htm#25800http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-25800.xmlI don't know. I've mentioned before that capitalization preference seems to be more like fashion than grammar. I can see why people might regard the whole phrase as a proper noun. It similarly seems fairly common to write "the Starship Enterprise" instead of "the starship Enterprise". <br /> <br />If I had to guess, I'd have to say that "river" (and "starship") are NOT part of the proper noun, but that their capitalization is (like other capitalization issues) a matter of preference. I honestly don't think there are any "rules" here, but I'm happy to be corrected. <br /> <br />Rommiehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvw/post.htm#25797Wed, 17 Mar 2004 13:58:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25797simon_phlui2http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvw/post.htm#25797http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-25797.xml> The phrase "the Mississippi river" requires a lowercase "r" <br /> <br />It seems that most people write "Mississippi River" instead of <br />"Mississippi river". Microsoft Bookshelf also uses the uppercase "R". <br /> <br />Actually, what's the general rule governing the capitalisation of <br />common nouns in a compound noun?http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvh/post.htm#25796Wed, 17 Mar 2004 13:44:19 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25796wfwdtp3http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvvh/post.htm#25796http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-25796.xmlThanks Rommie. Your response was helpful.http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvdl/post.htm#25783Wed, 17 Mar 2004 09:29:46 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25783rommie4http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvdl/post.htm#25783http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-25783.xmlNo. Whole phrases can be proper nouns, such as "Rage Against the Machine", which is the name of a band. Just treat the whole thing as a noun. <br /> <br />Your second example, however, is wrong. The proper noun is "Mississippi" - one word. The phrase "the Mississippi river" requires a lowercase "r". "Mississippi river" is indeed a compound noun, composed of the proper noun "Mississippi" and the common noun "river". <br /> <br />Rommiehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvcj/post.htmWed, 17 Mar 2004 00:33:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25764wfwdtp5http://www.englishforums.com/English/CompoundAndProperNouns/zvcj/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments12-25764.xmlAre proper names of persons (e.g. Emily Post), considered to be compound nouns? Are the proper names of places or things (e.g. the Mississippi River) compound nouns?