Origin of The Terms
The term "proper noun" denotes a noun that, grammatically speaking, identifies a specific unique entity; for example, England is a proper noun, because it is a name for a specific country, where as dog is not a proper noun — it is a "common noun" — because it is a term for any member of a group of animals.
In English orthography, most proper nouns are capitalized, while most common nouns are not. As a result, the term "proper noun" has come to mean, in lay usage, "a noun that is capitalized", and "common noun" to mean "a noun that is not capitalized". What's more, English adjectives that derive from proper nouns are usually capitalized. These two things, taken together, have led to the creation of the lay terms "proper adjective" and "common adjective" with meanings analogous to the lay meanings of "proper noun" and "common noun".
Read more about this topic: Proper Adjective
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