The word "Love" or "Luv"

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brianm

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Because I am from Northern Ireland, I use the word love on a regular basis when addressing people I know or even to complete strangers.

At the grocer, to the cashier... "Thanks, love." At home, “Hello love, have a good day?”

It's a bit like people who say "dear" to everyone.

My question is two-fold:

1) Shouldn't the word be spelled love and not luv?
2) I read in a recent crit...“Hello luv, what’s Alice doing?” and the critic wrote this... Luv is a direct address and needs to be capitalized. Is this correct? Isn't it like "Hello dear, how is Alice doing?" You wouldn't cap the Dear would you?

 

newmod

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Hi brian I´m from London where it´s common also, I wouldn´t capitalise love/luv. As you say it´s like chuck, hen or whatever.

As for spelling if I wanted to convey a north of england accent maybe I´d spell it luv, but probably not. If someone knows the accent it makes no difference and if they don´t it makes no difference either probably!
 

soloset

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As an (American) reader, I've seen it both ways in commercial fiction -- "love" and "luv", but never capitalized. I think 'luv' is usually used to convey an accent, or that casual way y'all say it. ;) "Love" I've really only seen as an endearment between two people who are actually in love.

I'm not sure what the "official" word is on it, though.
 

rekirts

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When I hear British people say love/luv, I picture it as luv. But that doesn't mean it's right. :tongue
 

Lyra Jean

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When I read work that is set in England eh okay it's mostly Ireland. I read a lot of Meave Binchy. I just hear the accent in my head. We get a lot of English and Irish folks where I work as customers.

Luv just makes me think they've been to long on the internet and forgot how to spell properly.
 

brianm

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I agree... spelling it luv sounds like slang, Internet, personalized license plates or bumper stickers. I live in Palm Springs and they have a bumper sticker here that reads "I LUV PS."

When I speak...it does sound like "luv," but I think it best to spell the word correctly.
 

Soccer Mom

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I wouldn't capitalize it either. Down here in my southern little corner of the US, everyone is honey, sugar, sweetie. No caps.
 

Sandi LeFaucheur

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I believe you would cap it if it was a nickname specific to that person, but expressions like love, dear, honey, are used all the time. If you call your boss--and only your boss--Dogbreath, it would be capped. But if it was common practice to call everyone from the meter reader to the prime minister dogbreath, it wouldn't.
 

Ralyks

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Terms of endearment are not capitalized. The spelling "luv" is slang and makes sense in dialogue, especially if that is how it is pronounced. I would never use the spelling in narrative, however.
 

Puma

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The "Critter" Speaks

Since I was the "Critter" in this case, I'll explain where I was coming from (and I do agree with what most of you have put on here). I viewed the term as a reference to a specific person, not as a generic, whoever happens to walk by. I've looked at two college handbooks and they are clear as mud on the issue. A similar issue that comes up a lot in SYW is the capitalization of Mother/Father and various derivatives. When the terms are used to refer to a specific Mother or Father, they are capitalized. I am viewing Luv in this instance in the same way. It would be nice if one of the grammar gurus popped in and took a look at this thread. Puma
 

poetinahat

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I,too, think "luv" is un-capped and conveys an accent -- especially, say, Liverpudlian (think Ringo Starr, esp. in Yellow Submarine).

Similar to "guv" or "guv'na" -- you wouldn't spell it "gov" or spell out "governor", would you? Or would you...

Just my thinking.
 

Phouka

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I'm American and use 'luv' in a lot of written communications (yeah, a weird affectation, but I read too many British novels). The 'luv' spelling, for me, divorces it from actual 'love' and is less intiminate. So I stick with 'luv' when I mean that casual 'dear', 'honey','sweetie' address.

This justification brought to you by pulledoutofmy----.com
 
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