Levis or levis
Uwe Kunzel
Which is (are) correct: [1] levis
[2] levi's
[3] Levi's
[4] Levis
[5] levi jeans
[6] levis jeans
[7] other ?
In other words, is the proprietary name a possessive and proper noun, which
should be capitalized and apostrophed, or is it a common noun, plural in
the sense of trousers, pants, etc?
Uwe
Ross Howard
"Uwe Kunzel" <uk...@sfsu.edu> wrote:
>Which is (are) correct: [1] levis
> [2] levi's
> [3] Levi's
> [4] Levis
> [5] levi jeans
> [6] levis jeans
> [7] other ?
I'd use [4] if it was on its own, but say "Levi jeans". I'd also say
"Ray-Bans" but "Ray-Ban sunglasses", and "Dr. Martens" but "Dr. Marten
boots". This seems to show that the *s* is clearly plural here, rather
than possessive, so any apostrophes would be out of place.
>In other words, is the proprietary name a possessive and proper noun, which
>should be capitalized and apostrophed, or is it a common noun, plural in
>the sense of trousers, pants, etc?
It's a plural proper noun when used alone, and an adjectivized
singular proper noun when used as a premodifier followed by the class
of object it belongs to. I think.
A quick thread shift spurred by this one: Does anybody ever
"regularize" the plurals of brand names when used as count nouns, or
do we always just add an *s*? Is it "Chevys and Mercurys" or "Chevies
and Mercuries"?
Ross Howard
Joseph C Fineman
rho...@mx3.redestb.es (Ross Howard) writes:
>"Uwe Kunzel" <uk...@sfsu.edu> wrote:
>>Which is (are) correct: [1] levis
>> [2] levi's
>> [3] Levi's
>> [4] Levis
>> [5] levi jeans
>> [6] levis jeans
>> [7] other ?
>I'd use [4] if it was on its own, but say "Levi jeans". I'd also say
>"Ray-Bans" but "Ray-Ban sunglasses", and "Dr. Martens" but "Dr.
>Marten boots". This seems to show that the *s* is clearly plural
>here, rather than possessive, so any apostrophes would be out of
>place.
>It's a plural proper noun when used alone, and an adjectivized
>singular proper noun when used as a premodifier followed by the class
>of object it belongs to. I think.
All very plausible, but Messrs Levi Strauss & Co. do not agree with
you. According to them, Levi's is a singular possessive, and its
plural use is short for Levi's jeans. The white tag that you pull off
before wearing them says (or used to say -- I don't have one handy)
"This is a pair of Levi's."
>A quick thread shift spurred by this one: Does anybody ever
>"regularize" the plurals of brand names when used as count nouns, or
>do we always just add an *s*? Is it "Chevys and Mercurys" or "Chevies
>and Mercuries"?
The rule used to be that all proper nouns in -y kept the y in the
plural: the two Germanys; we are having the Kellys over for dinner.
Recently I have been seeing exceptions. Also, the Rocky Mountains &
the Scilly Islands have always, so far as I know, been the Rockies &
the Scillies.
--- Joe Fineman j...@world.std.com
||: There is no top worm in a can. :||
Albert Marshall
Uwe Kunzel <uk...@sfsu.edu> wrote
>Which is (are) correct: [1] levis
> [2] levi's
> [3] Levi's
> [4] Levis
> [5] levi jeans
> [6] levis jeans
> [7] other ?
>
>should be capitalized and apostrophed, or is it a common noun, plural in
>the sense of trousers, pants, etc?
>
Frogs don't normally sound the plural "s"?
--
Albert Marshall
Executive French
Language Training for Businesses in Kent
01634 400902
Stefano MacGregor
Uwe Kunzel <uk...@sfsu.edu> wrote in article
<01bc916f$f4746f40$b512b8cd@#tschenk.ix.netcom.com>...
<<Which is (are) correct: [1] levis
[2] levi's
[3] Levi's
[4] Levis
[5] levi jeans
[6] levis jeans
[7] other?>>
The correct form is "Levi's", because that's what's on the label.
It appears to some people to be a plural, but is is the possessive of
"Levi", the man who invented them.
It's capitalized because it's a brand name, and possessive because
they're his jeans.
--
-- __Q Grafo Stefano MAC:GREGOR \ma-GRE-gar\
-- -`\<, Fenikso, graflando de Marikopo, Arizono, Usono
-- (*)/ (*) <http://www.goodnet.com/~stevemac/ttt-hejm.htm>
--------------- Batalu kontraux spamo: <http://www.cauce.org/>
Andy Averill
In article <5qi6fg$qph$1...@talia.mad.ibernet.es>, rhowa...@mx3.redestb.es wrote:
>A quick thread shift spurred by this one: Does anybody ever
>"regularize" the plurals of brand names when used as count nouns, or
>do we always just add an *s*? Is it "Chevys and Mercurys" or "Chevies
>and Mercuries"?
>
>
Chevys and Mercurys, by analogy with Walkmans. I'm sure I'm not the only one
in this ng who's said "walkmen" exactly once, thereupon realizing that it a)
sounded too stupid to be the right plural and b) was too lame to be an actual
joke.
-----
Andy Averill (an...@lisco.com)
Fairfield, Iowa