2.7 Capitalizing i

I do capitalize the first-person singular personal pronoun—when it comes at the beginning of a sentence, like any other word; i don’t when it doesn’t, also like any other word. The first-person singular personal pronoun is, as the name implies, just another pronoun, not a proper noun—and it’s a little silly to use it as if it were

Although i am tempted to advocate the abolition of diminutive letters entirely (as with Attic Greek, i believe) i can, from an ergonomic perspective, understand starting sentences with capitals—so it is clearer to the eye where sentences begin and end; and proper nouns, especially, i can understand, because there is a huge epistemological difference between a proper and common noun. But just randomly for the first person singular pronoun?—there is no good reason for it that i can see.

I used to think people used a small ‘i’ for the pronoun just to make some idiotic statement about the self being unimportant. But so what if it is—or if it isn’t? In neither case is capitalization justified.

I must add, however, that I know that people like employers and editors don’t always appreciate my reasoning, so I end up capitalizing I by habit most of the time. But it ain’t right, i tells ya, and i don’t when i can get away with it.

Based on emails to Steve Clarian
2005.3.21 / 2005.8.20