Common noun
The genus name (also: appellatives, generic names ) are words for generic concepts such as house, animal, tree. They are next to proper names ( propria ) and substance names ( Kontinuativa ) one of the three subclasses of nouns.
- 2.1 generic names, refer to those on certain individual objects
- 2.2 expressions that occur both as proper names as well as generic names
- 2.3 Unclear reference for proper names
- 2.4 Proper names that have a " connotative meaning "
- 2.5 Proper names that are used as names of substances
- 2.6 Proper names, which are used as a generic name
- 2.7 Proper names that have been formed from common nouns
- 2.8 Summary of the doubt,
- 3.1 Designations of Origin
- 3.2 Protection of product names ( generalized or generic brand name)
- 3.3 Domain Law
- 5.1 documents
- 5.2 Literature
- 5.3 External links
- 5.4 See also
Main features of the generic name
Syntactic features
Generic name in the singular form usually requires an article or in conjunction with a standing before the genitive noun a noun phrase (eg, "the house ", " Jutta's house" ). The indefinite plural is not marked contrast with the German article, therefore, generic names in the plural form even without Article phrases ( eg, " houses ", " women ").
Uppercase and lowercase letters
Unlike proper names generic names in English (and also in most other languages that use the Latin alphabet ) can be written small and can be easily distinguished from proper names. In German, however, all nouns are capitalized.
Semantic features
The proper names a word is counted if it refers to a single object (such as to the person or the place Herbert Augsburg). As a generic name, however, the words are seen, with those on classes of objects can be referenced. ( For example, you can "houses" refer to the word on the houses in the world. )
In genus and substance names, it is possible to infer from the word on the properties of the objects designated. ( For example, can be of " dog " on the property " has a coat " close).
Genus names refer to the basis of characteristics of concepts. This may lead to vagueness in the reference. That is: It can stay in some situations unclear whether certain items fall under the generic name mentioned with the concept. For example, a building " more or less" be a tower, so it does not come to a clear attribution.
Definition of generic names and proper names - possible cases of doubt
While it is quite easy to give convincing definitions for the terms " proper name " and " generic name ", it can be quite difficult to determine under which of the two definitions falls a present each expression in practice. It follows, therefore, here is a list of typical cases of doubt.
Generic name that is referenced with those on certain individual objects
The way to refer to a very specific single object, not alone provide the proper names. When it is in a company that " the boss " was out of the house, then the parties is clear, 's being talked about.
The same applies to expressions such as " mother " or "Grandpa ". It can be inferred from the context who is meant when we speak of "mother" or "Grandpa ".
The given expressions are nevertheless counted to the genus name.
Expressions that occur both as proper names as well as generic names
The following examples can be shown that the terms "sun" and "God " can occur both as proper names as well as generic names:
- The sun was shining from the sky (meaning the star in the center of our planetary system )
- In the center of each solar system, there is a sun.
- St. Francis prayed to God. (meaning the God of the Christian religions)
- Homer and Hesiod brought the gods in a certain order.
Unclear reference for proper names
For proper names a unique reference is not always given. So it is with words as " Berlin welcomes the decision of the American President " and "Berlin proposes Hamburg 2-1 " to metonymic expressions, in the first case "Berlin" stands for the Federal Government and in the second case for the football team of the city.
In both cases, the reader / listener only determine what the term "Berlin" refers to when he considers the context of the utterance and approach contributes world knowledge to the text.
Proper names that have a " connotative meaning "
By definition, proper names are expressions which are used to refer to objects and carry no (or almost no ) importance. However, can be seen in many examples show that with proper names can be connected all sorts of connotations. The following example sets these connotations come so strongly to the fore, that the proper names act as generic names:
- The Hannover Messe is the Mecca of the machine builder.
- She is the Mother Theresa in our city.
- A Einstein he is not even.
- The pension reform became his Waterloo.
Here proper names are used as generic names, their main function is yet to be used for identification or description of objects.
Proper names, which are used as names of substances
Furthermore, there is the phenomenon that proper names such as substance names are used:
- Lisa has heard one hours Beethoven.
- It offered lots of hip-hop.
- Two hours Schiller had enough.
Proper names, which are used as generic names
Examples of proper names, which are used as a generic name:
- We need to order ten Mary Stuart. (meaning: ten copies of the book )
- The customer wants five Mona Lisa. (meaning: five prints)
- In Bern, two Picassos were stolen. (meaning: two works by Picasso)
Here we are dealing with proper names, which sometimes have the function of generic names, but the identifying function is to be dominant.
Proper names, which were formed from common nouns
- Toponyms such as " On the turnip field ", " Before the tall fir ", ...
- Proper names such as " Social Democratic Party ", " Institute for German Language", ...
Summary of the doubt,
With the examples given can be shown that the transitions between proper names and common nouns are fluid. Although it can indicate to most nouns, whether they are primarily used as a proper name or a generic name, this one must, however, keep in mind that can be set using methods for noun phrases at any time, they bring in the border area of common nouns and proper nouns.
Generic name in legal contexts
The question whether a particular expression must be seen as a generic name or as a proper name, is decided in some cases by administrative bodies and courts. If it is determined that an expression can be seen as a proper noun, it usually has the consequence that there are restrictions on the use of the expression. Occasionally there are also cases in which administrative bodies or courts decide who is allowed to use a particular genus name in a given context.
Designations of Origin
The word combination " Munich white sausage " consists of the genus name " white sausage ", supplemented by a proper name in attributive function. You see an expression like " Munich white sausage " commonly referred to as origin designation.
Once trademark law valid restrictions on the use of the expression set, the expression can approach but of its function, the product name. The right to provide products with the label " Munich white sausage " then lies, not in the hands of a single company (as in product names usual), but the expression is still not as freely usable as it is otherwise in the genus name of the case. Then there are certain companies that can market their products as " Munich white sausages ", while there are others where this privilege is denied.
Product names are usually regarded by linguists as expressions, which are located in an intermediate range of generic names and proper names, because on the one hand refers to them - as well as with generic names - often a type of objects ( see, eg, " Hanutas ", " Vespa ", ...) on the other hand, the relationship between the objects and the name was created by an act of naming - as is typical for proper names. See product name.
Protection for product name ( generalized or generic brand name)
Generic brand names arise when a patent and trademark law protected product is introduced with no competition in the market, thus is dominant and name in the result, the consumer later available similar competing products with the same name. Examples are " scotch tape ", " Tixostreifen ", " UHU ", " if", " Walkman " and many more.
For a company it can bring economic disadvantages, if a held of their product name is inspired by the everyday language into a generic name because after the brand protection period for an extension of trademark protection can be refused if the brand name has become a widespread generic term.
For Google, it is unfortunate that the name "Google" almost a synonym for " search engine" has become par excellence. " Googling " In today's use of the word is the tendency to make the company name a generic name, but already apparent. In order to halt this trend stop, the legal representative of the company put massively to ensure that the meaning of the verb "google " in dictionaries not with the words " Search the Internet", but with the words " with Google search the internet " is specified will. Became known for such influence in the dictionary and the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Even the Swedish Language Council Google has already achieved that the word ogooglebar ( " ungooglebar " ) is no longer " not with a search engine to locate " listed in the meaning in a Neologismenliste. The name "Google" should thus be spared the fate of many other product names because become generic names that are no longer protectable under trademark law ..
Variously develop from the brand name has become a generic term in this way even verbs. Thus, in the case of the generic name " Flex" for angle the verb - " flex " - formed. Other examples are " blow dry " and Googling.
Domain Law
Even more often been argued before the courts is whether it is permissible if a generic name is used as a domain name in an Internet address. As a tendency can be seen that the right to use generic names as domain names, is not denied in principle. For example, set out in a judgment in a dispute over the domain www.sauna.de that there is no undue channeling the flow of customers in using this domain:
" A sauna interested know that there are several providers in this market. Given the amount of investment that is associated with the purchase of a sauna, it will be impossible to stop them also to inform themselves otherwise. "
Also a test case at the Federal High Court (BGH ) on the URL www.mitwohnzentrale.de came to such a conclusion.
Uppercase and lowercase letters
In languages such as English and French but other nouns is the ability to distinguish between proper names and common nouns, of fundamental importance to the spelling, since proper names are capitalized, not. There are between English and French rules one major difference: whereas in English, the adjectival form is very important of proper names, it is in French lowercase "a French word " ( German: " a French word " ) is " un mot français ». The corresponding spelling concept is discussed in the German language under the heading "moderate sensitivity ". In the discussions to the spelling reform of 1996, this concept was discarded; one has instead opted for a modified capitalization.
Had in the deliberations for spelling reform proponents of the moderate case by set, then all would have mentioned in this article analyzes the topic " distinction between proper names and common nouns " for everyday spelling practice getting Relevance:
- One would then write: " She looked at herself in the mirror ," but: " I read in the mirror ."
- You would write: "She quoted from the Bible ", but: " The Pschyrembel is the bible of medicine ".
Particular complications arise in the course of the moderate case sensitive brand, product and company name, as the following example shows:
- The annual sales of Porsche increased by 12 %.
- I bought a new porsche.
Consequently, one would have in the use of the word "web" in each case determine whether the company is meant (for example, sentence 1) or the means of locomotion ( example sentence 2):