Coca-Cola is a proper noun that refers to a particular brand.
A noun is a word that can function as a subject in a sentence. These terms are the names that refer to an object or a being. Proper , on the other hand, is an adjective that mentions that which belongs to someone or that characterizes a thing or an individual.
Proper nouns are the words that allow a particular specimen to be identified and thus differentiate it from the rest of the specimens of the same type or species. In this way, it is possible to distinguish proper nouns from common nouns , which refer generically to any member of a class.
In our language , proper nouns are written with an initial capital letter , a peculiarity that common nouns do not have. Another important fact to keep in mind is that proper nouns are individual : they refer to a single subject or object.
Examples of proper nouns
It can be said that the proper noun is responsible for the designation of a being, a thing or a phenomenon in a unique way . Let's take the case of companies . This word ( "company" ) is a common noun that allows us to name a certain type of entity. Within this group, we find Coca-Cola , Ford , McDonald's , Starbucks and Microsoft , to name just a few examples. All of these terms ( “Coca-Cola” , “Ford” , “McDonald's” , “Starbucks” , “Microsoft” ) are proper nouns that refer to specific companies.
The same goes for people ( “Javier” , “Darío” , “Regina” , “Claudia” ), countries ( “Argentina” , “Brazil” , “New Zealand” , “Malaysia” ), cities ( “Montevideo”) . ” , “Roma” , “Tokio” , “Nairobi” ) and the rock bands ( “Aerosmith” , “The Rolling Stones” , “INXS” ) with their respective names.
Countries, like Brazil, have their own noun that designates them.
Other features
In addition to all the data that we have disclosed about proper nouns, it is worth knowing others that are equally important, among which are the following:
-They can be used not only to individualize what a person is but also a city, a period of time, a company, an animal...
-As we have mentioned, proper nouns are always written with their initial capitalized and this is true, regardless of where in the sentence they appear.
-In the case of proper nouns that are used to refer to people, they can also be called anthroponyms. These can then be divided into several categories, such as nicknames, pseudonyms, surnames, given names...
-When they refer to rivers, seas, mountains, cities or other geographical features, they can also be called toponyms.
-Significant buildings and monuments are considered to be proper nouns.
-In this same category of proper nouns, similarly, there are everything from mythological beings to virgins, including gods, literary characters, planets, among others. Examples of this are Bacchus, the Virgin of Carmen, Zeus, Harry Potter, Pluto...
-It goes without saying that there are certain organizations, institutions or entities that are also considered to fall within the category of proper noun. We are referring, for example, to the United Nations Organization, the Carlos III University of Madrid, the United Nations Children's Fund, the Strasbourg Human Rights Court...