How to use an apostrophe

[Stéphane Collin]

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Hello list.

Let me also propose a spelling for the pluralization of Steinway.
My logical suggestion depends on what you mean when you say :"A =
Steinway", as this never appears to be clear.

If you mean a member of the family called Steinway, like in this excerpt =
:

  "And never forget you are a Steinway !"
    (Henrich Engelhard Steinweg to one of his sons, when dying in 1871)

then, the plural should be something like :
  "And never forget you are Steinway bastards !"
    (Carl Bechstein (Bechsteinszoon's) when proposed to sell his company =
to some US market tenors)
But if you mean a grand piano of the famous make called after it's =
pattent owner, like in this excerpt :
  "Careful with that Steinway, Bob !"
    (Bob's mother)
then, the plural definetly should be :
  "Careful with those Steinway grand pianos, Bill !"
    (Bill's chief purser)
Please notice that neither the generic noun Steinway, nor the adjective =
grand get pluralized.  Only the common noun piano is, as only this =
refers to the thing that is actually pluralized.

Best regards,

St=E9phane Collin
(from the Acad=E9mie Fran=E7aise)



  ----- Original Message -----=20
From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 2:05 PM
Subject: How to use an apostrophe


| Dear List,
|     Kindly allow me to remind us all that the
| pluralization of Steinway is Steinways, Yamaha is
| Yamahas, etc.. It is not "Steinway's" or "Yamaha's",
| which is the posessive form i.e." Steinway's patent".=20
|      Respectfully
|      Thump
|=20
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|=20

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