# Is "nazi(s)" always a proper noun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741 "2009-02-13T20:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741/1 "2009-02-13T20:58:33Z")
I got a Scrabble game for my computer and it works well but one of the words my computer opponent used was NAZI and the it used NAZIS The game will not let you use proper nouns, so I take it the term nazi isn’t always a proper noun. Or is it? Is my Scrabble game wrong? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741/2 "2009-02-13T21:01:06Z")
I think it has _become_ that way. Soup nazi, grammar nazis, etc. Used to be a proper name, now has alternate usages. ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741/3 "2009-02-13T22:10:37Z")
[Webster notes that as both adjective and noun it is “often not capitalized,”](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nazi) which is probably good enough to make it acceptable for Scrabble use. Interestingly, the term “Nazi” was apparently [originally derived from the diminuative for the name “Ignatz”](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=n&p=2), which had something of the “yokel” connotation that “Bubba” has for Americans. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741/4 "2009-02-13T23:25:06Z")
> [@Umbriel2](#): > > [Webster notes that as both adjective and noun it is “often not capitalized,”](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nazi) which is probably good enough to make it acceptable for Scrabble use. > > Interestingly, the term “Nazi” was apparently [originally derived from the diminuative for the name “Ignatz”](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=n&p=2), which had something of the “yokel” connotation that “Bubba” has for Americans. That’s not what the entry is saying, just that opponents favored the Nazi abbreviation because it _also_ meant a foolish person. The latter sense was derived from Ignatz, not the former. Here’s the relevant part: > [@](#): > > 1930, from Ger. Nazi, abbreviation of Ger. pronunciation of Nationalsozialist (based on earlier Ger. sozi, popular abbreviaton of “socialist”), from Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei “National Socialist German Workers’ Party,” led by Hitler from 1920. The 24th edition of Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache (2002) says the word Nazi was favored in southern Germany (supposedly from c.1924) among opponents of National Socialism because the nickname Nazi (from the masc. proper name Ignatz, Ger. form of Ignatius) was used colloquially to mean “a foolish person, clumsy or awkward person.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-nazi-s-always-a-proper-noun/485741/5 "2009-02-13T23:32:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I think it has _become_ that way. Soup nazi, grammar nazis, etc. Used to be a proper name, now has alternate usages. I concur. Big difference between “He’s a nazi” and “He’s a Nazi.” Lowercase nazi could mean anything from somebody who holds views similar to those held by the Nazi party or merely somebody who is controlling and fanatical either generally or in a specific area/activity (e.g. “Don’t be such a radio nazi! I want to listen to some of my music, too, ya know!”) Capital-N Nazi means somebody who is (well, I suppose “was” is more accurate) a member of the Nationalist Socialist Worker’s party.