If a culture refers to a thing in a word, is it capitalized? (See example.)

You can do this, but I think it'll stand out, and may appear to have some special significance beyond an ordinary farmer's market. Up to you. It's certainly not against the rules to capitalize it.

I'd only capitalize it if it is part of the name, like Grand Central Market (Los Angeles). I wouldn't capitalize it if I said "I'm going to the market for a few things." If I was going to GCM and referring to it as market, I still wouldn't capitalize market. A market is a market, regardless of its name.

Just be sure to define what market refers to (farmer's market).

No, they'd just say they're going to the market. Saying they're going to market without the article sounds like they're about to be sold themselves.

I went to the farmer's market yesterday -- it's a weekly thing. I don't call it 'market,' I call it 'the market,' or 'the farmer's market,' as I also tend to refer to a random trip for groceries as going to 'the market.' Regardless, it's not capped, even if there's just one farmer's market or market in town.

Like Carnival, during Mardi Gras, in New Orleans.

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So that's what Carnival is! That explains a lot, thanks, Patty.

Also, I wouldn't capitalize it unless it's the proper name for something. Like what I'm writing there's the world's biggest radio tower called...Radio Tower. (For now at least.)

Patty said:

It's not the market. It's market.

Like Carnival, during Mardi Gras, in New Orleans. Not 'the carnival.' During Mardi Gras, people go to Carnival.

They call it 'market.' It's that special to them, to go to market.

I keep going back and forth on which is correct. i guess consistency will be key here.

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That's not because it's special to people; it's a specific. Carnival capped is the pre-lenten celebration, not specific to Mardis Gras. Carnival uncapped is a carnival, the common noun. You're talking about a market, which in your world is a common noun, not something named Market.

In Britain it is customary to say that someone is "in hospital", where in the U.S., we would say "in the hospital". In either case, "hospital" is not capitalized. I don't see any comprehension problem with using "market" in the same manner.

caw

I hear go to market I think an auction for living things. *shrug*

One needs to distinguish between dropping the preceding article, a, an, the, because it's convenient and dropping the article indicating a proper noun.

We have a lot of 'shortcuts' in language that evolve after years of use. In some cases contractions developed. In the UK as was mentioned people are in hospital or go to university. It's interesting that in the US one goes to college but one goes to the university. These are just quirks in language and not indications of proper nouns.

Instead of thinking dropping the article is a 'rule' indicating common or proper nouns, decide if the word is a proper name or if the word is being used as a common name.

For example, one can use 'the' in front of 'Queen' if one means the queen we all know is the Queen.

I agree with no capital. Way, way (should I add "Way"?) too many writers Capitalize To Imbue Importance. It's a slippery slope which slides away from English toward capitalizing all nouns as in German.

Another vote for no capital.

If the market they're going to is a specific special event, set apart by its specialness from all other ordinary markets, then it might be permissible to give it a capital letter to signify that Market is not just any old market -- going to Market is a different thing than just shopping for cabbages and shoes at the market on Wednesday.

On the other hand, if it *is* just shopping for cabbages and shoes on Wednesday, it's not really a unique special thing. It's just the market, a boring old common-noun thing like every other market. (Unless it's a private enterprise that's named Market, which is something else entirely.)

There's an echo here Basically, if your characters think of it as Market, then that's how it is.

Chase said:

I agree with no capital. Way, way (should I add "Way"?) too many writers Capitalize To Imbue Importance. It's a slippery slope which slides away from English toward capitalizing all nouns as in German.

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So much this -- I've seen a ton of excerpts with nearly every random noun capped. It's bizarre.

The Fairy went to the Tree to get the Spell which gave her Powers that she used to capitalize Nouns to annoy Editors. Once the Spells were acquired, she headed to Town to meet with a Sage to discuss the Plan....

Could hang a lantern on it. Someone mentions Market (caps) and character reflects on the fact that to them it is The Market, special and unique and enjoyable (or whatever). That may or may not work depending, based onw hat you already have.

It doesn't matter if it's special to them -- that's not how capitalization works. If your kid LOVES the playground and gets to go rarely because it's far but it's where he meets up with his friend and plays in the fountain .. that doesn't mean you'd capitalize it if you were writing an email to your friend about taking him there today.

sigh, I know that.

Cross-posted, was responding to Patty above you.

cornflake said:

It doesn't matter if it's special to them -- that's not how capitalization works. If your kid LOVES the playground and gets to go rarely because it's far but it's where he meets up with his friend and plays in the fountain .. that doesn't mean you'd capitalize it if you were writing an email to your friend about taking him there today.

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This ^.

I was thinking something similar. Even if it's the only market in the region, it's still a market unless it has a proper name like Safeway or The Great Market which differs from an unnamed great market. There are only a few places I've been where the local market has a name. And usually that is when the market is large and has a specific name like one you would go to in a city.

Here are some named markets in Mexico City from The Lonely Planet: Mexico City's best markets

Notice the names, these are named markets. Markets in rural areas never have names, just the market.

I would definitely capitalize Caravan.

Caravan sounds like a holiday. Holidays are proper names. Market is a little iffy. Again, I wouldn't have a problem seeing it capitalized. I'd assume the people thought of Market as the market's name. You could avoid the issue by calling it something else.