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Post by hungryhippo on Apr 26, 2012 18:54:12 GMT
Hi, I am currently having a grammatical discussion at work regarding a medical condition called Cow's Milk Protein Allergy (which quite obviously is an allergy to the protein found in milk which comes from a cow.) All current published literature that we can find uses: Cow's but we are wondering if it should be: Cows' Any opinions greatly appreciated. Cheers P.S. I am UK based - are there American/UK differences with use of apostrophe??  |
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Post by hubertus on Apr 26, 2012 19:10:51 GMT
The milk comes from the cow so it's cow's milk.
You could argue that more than one cow produced the milk, in which case cows' milk would be consistent with the plural noun. But it would be a bit contrived to make it agree in this way.
Instances like this convince me that possessive apostrophes should be abandoned altogether as they are neither use nor ornament.
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Post by Tone on Apr 26, 2012 19:35:36 GMT
>Cow's Milk Protein Allergy <
It may come from many cows, but the singular possessive is more "normal".
The singular cow used here is what is called an exemplar.
(The same occurs in "Reader's Digest", which is used as a common example of the use of an exemplar.)
Tone
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 26, 2012 22:23:51 GMT
I would employ neither apostrophe nor s: simply Cow Milk.. . (where cow is a simple adjective) .
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Post by Dave on Apr 27, 2012 3:40:49 GMT
P.S. I am UK based - are there American/UK differences with use of apostrophe?? No; we use (and misuse) the apostrophe equally with those in the UK and Oz! We may disagree on some specific uses, but these don't seem to be based so much on American/UK/Australian "rules" as they are on personal preferences or adherence to a particular style guide. |
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Post by Dave on Apr 27, 2012 3:55:36 GMT
While may each have their proponent, I'd go with the currently used (published) term, even if you (or you as a group) don't like it. To do otherwise makes you (or your group) look like the incorrect ones. Is there an official institution that names these things? If so, use their term even if it doesn't coincide with "most published" or your likes. Let us know how this turns out. ref: Milk from Goats |
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Post by Verbivore on Apr 27, 2012 4:59:18 GMT
While may each have their proponent [...] It's a cow of a problem, this apostrophic mark, so little understood, so oft abused, even neglected ...  |
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Post by Dave on Apr 27, 2012 5:32:54 GMT
It's a cow of a problem, this apostrophic mark, so little understood, so oft abused, even neglected ... A problem by which we're cowed! |
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Post by Dave on Apr 27, 2012 5:35:05 GMT
Kine?
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Post by Alan Palmer on Apr 27, 2012 10:59:44 GMT
Bovine milk ...?
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Post by hubertus on Apr 27, 2012 16:08:00 GMT
I prefer the cows milk version, even if some people prefer the udders.
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jim90
New Member
Posts: 2 
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Post by jim90 on Aug 27, 2014 16:20:43 GMT
It's a cow of a problem, this apostrophic mark, so little understood, so oft abused, even neglected ... A problem by which we're cowed! Is that a moo...t point? |
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Post by Nadia on Nov 14, 2023 0:50:42 GMT
Cow's Milk Protein Intolerance is the accepted term. I'm a paediatrician and this irritates me more than it should. The intolerance does not belong to the cow (either single or pleural) but to the afflicted human individual. The apostrophe does not belong there.
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Post by Twoddle on Nov 19, 2023 11:28:54 GMT
It's not often a thread gets resurrected here after being dormant for eleven years. However, I'll make a couple of points:
Firstly, the "possessive apostrophe" is something of a misnomer, and it's more of an "apostrophe of loose association". The dog doesn't possess the dog's dinner, the girls don't possess the girls' school, the child doesn't possess the child's parents, and Jane doesn't possess Jane's husband (although the latter is sometimes open to argument).
Secondly, "Cow's Milk Protein Intolerance" is crying out for a hyphen or two. Hyphens are chronically underused, but immensely useful.
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