Way Off Topic: are currencies proper nouns???

Coriander

Hi,

Surely currencies are proper nouns and therefore take a capital letter, no?

US Dollar or US dollar?
Sterling or sterling?
Euro or euro?

Sorry, just need to know- am having a petty, but significant, battle with my boss over it.

And yes, I too am wondering if it can be both petty and significant.

lost_in_thought

I'd definitely say proper nouns.

EDIT:

Actually, thinking about it, although my knee-jerk reaction is 'yes, proper noun' in reality I would never write 'he owes me ten Dollars'. It's always be dollars, euro, pounds.

I think, though, and have not gone looking for any proof, that Sterling as in pounds Sterling might be a proper noun.

ketsbaia

All lower case.

Coriander

ketsbaia wrote:

All lower case.

That's the conclusion I've reluctantly come to. But why? They're definitely proper nouns.

Wallace1492

My understanding is they do not take a capital letter. You may be confused when the country is before it i.e. US dollar Swedish kronar, Australian dollar. The currency abbreviations are in capital letters too - i.e. USD, SEK and AUD.

I work in international banking.... :oops:

alfablue

dollar and pound are generic so not, but pound Sterling, and Euro . . .hmm

UndercoverElephant

Unit of measurement; not proper nouns.

alfablue

I think this gives a comprehensive answer: http://www.currencysystem.com/kb/13-144

ketsbaia

I think it's because they're units of measurement rather than proper nouns.

Edit: or what UndercoverElephant said.

jonginge

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Unit of measurement; not proper nouns.

Damn those units that are derived from a person's name eg Fahrenheit, Celcius, Kelvin. They break all convention...

I thought they would be proper nouns but there ya go.

rjsterry

Although could you regain pedant points for pointing out to your boss that euro is the plural of euro?

Coriander

OK, have changed them all to lower case... Thanks for your help, guys.

Choose your battles, hey?

Next time...

MonkeyMonster

just remember next time you play scrabble you can use em...

ps - part of my head is going its from sterling silver, not a person and wiki says - Old English *steorling "[coin] with a star",

tailwindhome

Wallace1492 wrote:

My understanding is they do not take a capital letter. You may be confused when the country is before it i.e. US dollar Swedish kronar, Australian dollar. The currency abbreviations are in capital letters too - i.e. USD, SEK and AUD.

I work in international banking.... :oops:

Do your family know? Or have you constructed an elaborate cover story of a more socially acceptable career, like say sweeping the floors in a brothel?

lost_in_thought

MonkeyMonster wrote:

just remember next time you play scrabble you can use em...

ps - part of my head is going its from sterling silver, not a person and wiki says - Old English *steorling "[coin] with a star",

Oooooh could well be... like I said I really don't know I just have a feeling it might be!