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{{policy| | {{policy|guideline|proposed}} | ||
This is a list of the '''grammar conventions and syntax''' | This is a list of the '''grammar conventions and syntax''' used in official media that Bulbapedia strives to follow. | ||
This list is being constantly updated, and is intended as a reference rather than something to memorize | This list is being constantly updated, and is intended as a reference rather than something to memorize. If you would like to suggest an addition or modification for this page, please do so on the talk page. This page is maintained by {{u|SnorlaxMonster}}. | ||
== | ==General approach== | ||
* | * American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. (This consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole.) Exceptions are made if the spelling is officially the Commonwealth one, such as "[[Décor|Catalogue]]." | ||
* | * 's should be included at the end of singular possessives ending in s. While it is correct to either omit or include the s after the apostrophe in these cases, Bulbapedia follows the games' convention (for a multitude of reasons, including the games' usage) and appends the s. For example, Iris's should be used, not Iris'. | ||
* The {{wp|serial comma}} should be used where applicable (matching the syntax of the Pokémon games). | |||
* Evolutionary levels should be designated as "unevolved," "first evolution," and "second evolution" for Pokémon that have undergone zero, one, and two evolutions respectively during their development. The TCG terminology of "basic Pokémon," "stage 1 Pokémon" and "stage 2 Pokémon" do not apply to other media. | |||
** For example, in the TCG {{p|Pikachu}} and several other Pokémon are considered Basic Pokémon, but have a pre-evolved form, making them first-evolution Pokémon. This discrepancy typically applies to evolutionary families that include a [[baby Pokémon]]. | |||
* Evolutionary levels should be designated as "unevolved" | ===Changing names=== | ||
When discussing topics in general, their most recent name should normally be used. | |||
When discussing a topic in the context of a particular medium or product, the terminology used normally should match the terminology used in that product. For example, when discussing the [[Thunder Stone]] in general it should normally be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), but when discussing the Thunder Stone in {{game|Gold and Silver|s}}, it should be rendered without a space ("Thunderstone") to match how it was displayed in those games. | |||
The anime is primarily an audiovisual medium, not a written medium, so context-sensitive spelling is typically not applied. When discussing a Thunder Stone in the [[original series]], the item should be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), despite this formatting not appearing in Pokémon media until much not later. However, differences in name should still be respected; for example, while the tower in [[Ecruteak City]] is known as the [[Bell Tower]] in {{game|HeartGold and SoulSilver|s}}, it is referred to as the [[Tin Tower]] in the [[Generation II]] games and the anime, so it should still be referred to as the "Tin Tower" when discussing the anime. | |||
Prior to Generation VI, {{wp|CamelCase}} was common in the games due to character limitations, but later games have largely moved away from its use. The [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]] games typically did not use CamelCase, instead only capitalizing the first letter of words that would be CamelCase in the core series games (e.g. "Deepseatooth"). | |||
==Hyphenation== | ==Hyphenation== | ||
* "Super effective" is | * "Super effective" is never hyphenated. It is formatted with a space when used as the object of a conjugation of the verb "to be" ("The attack was super effective"), but is formatted as one word when used adjectivally in front of a noun ("A supereffective attack"). | ||
* "[[Day-Care Couple]]" | * "[[Day-Care Couple]]," "Day-Care Man," "Day-Care Lady," and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as "Day-Care" is used as an adjective in these phrases. "[[Pokémon Day Care]]" and "Day Care," when used as nouns, are not hyphenated. | ||
===Types=== | ===Types=== | ||
Types themselves are always capitalized. | |||
*As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type" | |||
* As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type." | |||
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{type|Water}} Pokémon. | **Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{type|Water}} Pokémon. | ||
*As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type" | *As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type" | ||
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{t|Water}} type. | **Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{t|Water}} type. | ||
**Example: [[Blaine]] specializes in {{t|Fire}} types. | **Example: [[Blaine]] specializes in {{t|Fire}} types. | ||
*As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type" | *As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type." | ||
**Example: {{t|Fire}} is super effective against {{type|Grass}} Pokémon. | **Example: {{t|Fire}} is super effective against {{type|Grass}} Pokémon. | ||
**Example: The {{t|Steel}} type was introduced in Generation II. | **Example: The {{t|Steel}} type was introduced in Generation II. | ||
Types rendered with a hyphen are adjectives, so should never be pluralized. For example, "Water-types" is never correct. (Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as ''[[DP031|The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!]]''.) | |||
==Plurals== | |||
* The plural of "Pokémon" is "Pokémon" and the plural of every Pokémon species is the same as the singular, much like {{wp|moose}} or {{wp|sheep}}. For example, ''Those Pikachu are Electric-type Pokémon''. | |||
* Note the following special plurals for item names: | |||
** The plural of "[[Deep Sea Tooth]]" is "Deep Sea Teeth". | |||
** The plural of "[[Bruxish Tooth]]" is "Bruxish Teeth". | |||
** The plural of "[[Old Gateau]]" is "Old Gateaux". | |||
** The plural of "[[Guard Spec.]]" is "Guard Specs." | |||
==Capitalization== | ==Capitalization== | ||
* The word Pokémon is always capitalized, as are all nouns starting with "Poké" (such as [[Pokégear]], [[PokéNav]] and [[Poké Flute]]). | |||
* The names of Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, and locations are always written in title case. | |||
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr"> | |||
<div> | |||
===Capitalized=== | ===Capitalized=== | ||
The following are always capitalized: | The following are always capitalized: | ||
*Pokémon | *Pokémon | ||
*{{pkmn|Trainer}} | *{{pkmn|Trainer}} | ||
*[[Original Trainer]] | |||
*[[Pokémon Professor]] | *[[Pokémon Professor]] | ||
*[[Legendary Pokémon]] | |||
*[[Mythical Pokémon]] | |||
*[[List of Pokémon with form differences|Forme]] | |||
*[[Ability]] | *[[Ability]] | ||
*Hidden Ability | *Hidden Ability | ||
*{{pkmn|Egg}} | *{{pkmn|Egg}} | ||
*[[Egg Group]] | *[[Egg Group]] | ||
*[[Egg Move]] | |||
*[[Evolution]] | |||
*[[Mega Evolution]] | |||
*[[Berry]] | *[[Berry]] | ||
*[[Gym]] | *[[Gym]] | ||
*[[Badge]] | *[[Badge]] | ||
*[[Symbol]] | *[[Symbol]] | ||
* | *[[Shiny Pokémon]] | ||
*[[Single Battle]] | *Types of battles ([[Single Battle]], [[Double Battle]], [[Horde Encounter]], etc.) | ||
*[[Bag]] | |||
*[[Nature]] | |||
*[[ | |||
*[[ | |||
*[[Characteristic]] | *[[Characteristic]] | ||
*[[Prop]] | *[[Prop]] | ||
*[[Plate]] | *[[Plate]] | ||
*[[Ribbon]] | *[[Ribbon]] | ||
*[[Accessory]] | *[[Accessory]] | ||
| Line 63: | Line 84: | ||
*[[Fossil]] | *[[Fossil]] | ||
*[[Move Tutor]] | *[[Move Tutor]] | ||
* | *Box ([[Pokémon Storage System]]) | ||
*[[the Underground]] | *[[the Underground]] | ||
* | *[[Shadow Pokémon]] | ||
*[[Décor]] | *[[Décor]] | ||
*[[Friend Area]] | *[[Friend Area]] | ||
*[[Special Episode]] | *[[Special Episode]] | ||
*[[Browser]] | *[[Browser]] | ||
*[[Special Traits]] | *[[Special Traits]] | ||
*[[Toy Pokémon]] | *[[Toy Pokémon]] | ||
* | *[[Perfect Link]] | ||
*[[Warrior]] | |||
*[[Warlord]] | |||
*[[ | *[[Warrior Skill]] | ||
*[[ | </div> | ||
*[[ | |||
<div> | |||
===Uncapitalized=== | ===Uncapitalized=== | ||
The following are | The following are not capitalized: | ||
*[[move]] | *[[move]] | ||
*[[item]] | *[[item]] | ||
*[[level]] | *[[level]] | ||
*[[gender]] | *[[gender]] | ||
* | *[[List of Pokémon with form differences|form]] | ||
* | *[[wing]] | ||
* | *names of [[status ailments]] | ||
*names of [[Season (mechanic)|seasons]] | |||
*names of [[weather conditions]] | |||
* | *names of [[Phenomenon|phenomena]] | ||
* | *[[wild Pokémon]] | ||
*[[rental Pokémon]] | *[[baby Pokémon]] | ||
*{{m|substitute}} | *[[rental Pokémon]]<!--while capitalized in Pokémon Stadium, it is uncapitalized in its most recent usages--> | ||
*{{m|substitute}} (the doll created by the move {{m|Substitute}}) | |||
*[[physical move]] | *[[physical move]] | ||
*[[special move]] | *[[special move]] | ||
*[[status move]] | *[[status move]] | ||
*[[scalchop]] | *[[scalchop]] | ||
*[[scalchop|seamitar]] | *[[scalchop|seamitar]] | ||
*[[ | *[[link]] ([[Pokémon Conquest]]) | ||
*kingdom ([[Pokémon Conquest]]) | |||
*move rank ([[Pokémon Conquest]]) | |||
</div> | |||
*[[ | </div> | ||
*[[ | |||
The names of all people, Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, Trainer classes, stats (except accuracy and evasion), and [[villainous teams]] are also always capitalized, as are officially named locations (places like "Kurt's house" do not count). | The names of all people, Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, Trainer classes, stats (except accuracy and evasion), and [[villainous teams]] are also always capitalized, as are officially named locations (places like "Kurt's house" do not count). | ||
| Line 148: | Line 141: | ||
All unofficial terms are lowercase by default, with the exception of the names of generations. While the term "[[generation]]" is uncapitalized, specific generation names (e.g. [[Generation II]]) are. | All unofficial terms are lowercase by default, with the exception of the names of generations. While the term "[[generation]]" is uncapitalized, specific generation names (e.g. [[Generation II]]) are. | ||
== | ==Definite article== | ||
It is not always immediately obvious whether a particular location or concept should use the definite article "the." The below is a list of such cases according to whether the indefinite article should be used. | |||
In the [[Generation VIII]] core series games, the [[List of locations by index number (Sword & Shield)|summary location]] makes clear which locations should use "the" and which should not, so they are not listed here. | |||
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr"> | |||
<div> | |||
===Present=== | ===Present=== | ||
The following always have "the": | The following always have "the": | ||
*The [[Slowpoke Well]] | *The [[Slowpoke Well]] | ||
*The [[Glitter Lighthouse]] | *The [[Glitter Lighthouse]] | ||
*The [[Bell Tower|Tin Tower]] | *The [[Bell Tower|Tin Tower]]<!--the usage of 'the' is inconsistent in Generation II, but in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum the man at Hotel Grand Lake uses 'the'--> | ||
*The [[Bell Tower]] | *The [[Bell Tower]]<!--although the sign in front of the Barrier Station omits 'the,' NPCs and the official guidebook use 'the'--> | ||
*The [[Whirl Islands]] | *The [[Whirl Islands]] | ||
| Line 165: | Line 159: | ||
*The [[Sky Pillar]] | *The [[Sky Pillar]] | ||
*The [[Eterna Forest]] | *The [[Eterna Forest]]<!--'the' is absent in a map description and official guidebook, but present on the sign inside the forest, in the anime, and in NPC dialog--> | ||
*The [[Vista Lighthouse]] | *The [[Vista Lighthouse]] | ||
*The [[Spear Pillar]] | *The [[Spear Pillar]] | ||
| Line 180: | Line 174: | ||
*The [[Abyssal Ruins]] | *The [[Abyssal Ruins]] | ||
*The [[Entralink]] | *The [[Entralink]] | ||
*The [[Entralink|Entree Forest]] | |||
*The [[Pokémon Global Link]] | *The [[Pokémon Global Link]] | ||
| Line 191: | Line 186: | ||
*The {{dwa|Icy Cave}} | *The {{dwa|Icy Cave}} | ||
*The [[Bittercold]] | |||
</div> | |||
<div> | |||
===Absent=== | ===Absent=== | ||
The following do not use "the": | The following do not use "the": | ||
| Line 216: | Line 213: | ||
*[[White Forest]] | *[[White Forest]] | ||
*[[Black City]] | *[[Black City]] | ||
*[[Aether House]]<!-- While putting "the" is not grammatically incorrect, it is mostly referred to without, the "the" being used very rarely across multiple media --> | |||
</div> | |||
</div> | |||
==Deviations== | |||
While Bulbapedia aims to follow the games' formatting in most circumstances, there are a number of cases in which it does not. Some of these are listed below. | |||
* The fan terms [[base stat]]s, [[effort value]]s (EVs), and [[individual value]]s (IVs) are used due to their overwhelming dominant usage among fans, as well as the official names conflicting with their commonly understood usages among fans. EVs are officially known as "base points", IVs as "individual strengths", and base stats as "species strengths".<ref>[https://www.pokemon.com/uk/play-pokemon/about/video-game-glossary/ Pokémon Video Game Glossary]</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
<references /> | |||
<!--{{-}} | <!--{{-}} | ||
{{Bulbapedia guidelines}}--> | {{Bulbapedia guidelines}}--> | ||
Latest revision as of 19:59, 23 January 2024
 |
This article is a proposed guideline for Bulbapedia.
Please discuss the proposed guideline and suggest possible changes on the article's talk page. |
This is a list of the grammar conventions and syntax used in official media that Bulbapedia strives to follow.
This list is being constantly updated, and is intended as a reference rather than something to memorize. If you would like to suggest an addition or modification for this page, please do so on the talk page. This page is maintained by SnorlaxMonster.
General approach
- American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. (This consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole.) Exceptions are made if the spelling is officially the Commonwealth one, such as "Catalogue."
- 's should be included at the end of singular possessives ending in s. While it is correct to either omit or include the s after the apostrophe in these cases, Bulbapedia follows the games' convention (for a multitude of reasons, including the games' usage) and appends the s. For example, Iris's should be used, not Iris'.
- The serial comma should be used where applicable (matching the syntax of the Pokémon games).
- Evolutionary levels should be designated as "unevolved," "first evolution," and "second evolution" for Pokémon that have undergone zero, one, and two evolutions respectively during their development. The TCG terminology of "basic Pokémon," "stage 1 Pokémon" and "stage 2 Pokémon" do not apply to other media.
- For example, in the TCG Pikachu and several other Pokémon are considered Basic Pokémon, but have a pre-evolved form, making them first-evolution Pokémon. This discrepancy typically applies to evolutionary families that include a baby Pokémon.
Changing names
When discussing topics in general, their most recent name should normally be used.
When discussing a topic in the context of a particular medium or product, the terminology used normally should match the terminology used in that product. For example, when discussing the Thunder Stone in general it should normally be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), but when discussing the Thunder Stone in Pokémon Gold and Silver, it should be rendered without a space ("Thunderstone") to match how it was displayed in those games.
The anime is primarily an audiovisual medium, not a written medium, so context-sensitive spelling is typically not applied. When discussing a Thunder Stone in the original series, the item should be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), despite this formatting not appearing in Pokémon media until much not later. However, differences in name should still be respected; for example, while the tower in Ecruteak City is known as the Bell Tower in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, it is referred to as the Tin Tower in the Generation II games and the anime, so it should still be referred to as the "Tin Tower" when discussing the anime.
Prior to Generation VI, CamelCase was common in the games due to character limitations, but later games have largely moved away from its use. The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games typically did not use CamelCase, instead only capitalizing the first letter of words that would be CamelCase in the core series games (e.g. "Deepseatooth").
Hyphenation
- "Super effective" is never hyphenated. It is formatted with a space when used as the object of a conjugation of the verb "to be" ("The attack was super effective"), but is formatted as one word when used adjectivally in front of a noun ("A supereffective attack").
- "Day-Care Couple," "Day-Care Man," "Day-Care Lady," and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as "Day-Care" is used as an adjective in these phrases. "Pokémon Day Care" and "Day Care," when used as nouns, are not hyphenated.
Types
Types themselves are always capitalized.
- As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type."
- Example: Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon.
- As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"
- As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type."
- Example: Fire is super effective against Grass-type Pokémon.
- Example: The Steel type was introduced in Generation II.
Types rendered with a hyphen are adjectives, so should never be pluralized. For example, "Water-types" is never correct. (Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!.)
Plurals
- The plural of "Pokémon" is "Pokémon" and the plural of every Pokémon species is the same as the singular, much like moose or sheep. For example, Those Pikachu are Electric-type Pokémon.
- Note the following special plurals for item names:
- The plural of "Deep Sea Tooth" is "Deep Sea Teeth".
- The plural of "Bruxish Tooth" is "Bruxish Teeth".
- The plural of "Old Gateau" is "Old Gateaux".
- The plural of "Guard Spec." is "Guard Specs."
Capitalization
- The word Pokémon is always capitalized, as are all nouns starting with "Poké" (such as Pokégear, PokéNav and Poké Flute).
- The names of Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, and locations are always written in title case.
Capitalized
The following are always capitalized:
- Pokémon
- Trainer
- Original Trainer
- Pokémon Professor
- Legendary Pokémon
- Mythical Pokémon
- Forme
- Ability
- Hidden Ability
- Egg
- Egg Group
- Egg Move
- Evolution
- Mega Evolution
- Berry
- Gym
- Badge
- Symbol
- Shiny Pokémon
- Types of battles (Single Battle, Double Battle, Horde Encounter, etc.)
- Bag
- Nature
- Characteristic
- Prop
- Plate
- Ribbon
- Accessory
- Backdrop
- Fossil
- Move Tutor
Uncapitalized
The following are not capitalized:
- move
- item
- level
- gender
- form
- wing
- names of status ailments
- names of seasons
- names of weather conditions
- names of phenomena
- wild Pokémon
- baby Pokémon
- rental Pokémon
- substitute (the doll created by the move Substitute)
- physical move
- special move
- status move
- link (Pokémon Conquest)
- kingdom (Pokémon Conquest)
- move rank (Pokémon Conquest)
The names of all people, Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, Trainer classes, stats (except accuracy and evasion), and villainous teams are also always capitalized, as are officially named locations (places like "Kurt's house" do not count).
All unofficial terms are lowercase by default, with the exception of the names of generations. While the term "generation" is uncapitalized, specific generation names (e.g. Generation II) are.
Definite article
It is not always immediately obvious whether a particular location or concept should use the definite article "the." The below is a list of such cases according to whether the indefinite article should be used.
In the Generation VIII core series games, the summary location makes clear which locations should use "the" and which should not, so they are not listed here.
Present
The following always have "the":
- The Slowpoke Well
- The Glitter Lighthouse
- The Tin Tower
- The Bell Tower
- The Whirl Islands
- The Cave of Origin
- The Sky Pillar
- The Eterna Forest
- The Vista Lighthouse
- The Spear Pillar
- The Snowpoint Temple
- The Skyarrow Bridge
- The Driftveil Drawbridge
- The Tubeline Bridge
- The Dreamyard
- The Desert Resort
- The Relic Castle
- The Cold Storage
- The Celestial Tower
- The Abyssal Ruins
- The Entralink
- The Entree Forest
- The Pokémon Global Link
- The Pokémon Dream World
- The Global Battle Union
- The Pleasant Forest
- The Windswept Sky
- The Sparkling Sea
- The Spooky Manor
- The Rugged Mountain
- The Icy Cave
- The Bittercold
Absent
The following do not use "the":
- Victory Road (all)
- Geonet
- Pal Park
- Soul Dew
Deviations
While Bulbapedia aims to follow the games' formatting in most circumstances, there are a number of cases in which it does not. Some of these are listed below.
- The fan terms base stats, effort values (EVs), and individual values (IVs) are used due to their overwhelming dominant usage among fans, as well as the official names conflicting with their commonly understood usages among fans. EVs are officially known as "base points", IVs as "individual strengths", and base stats as "species strengths".[1]
References
