Is it the definite article?

So, to reiterate, when it comes to when to use the “the”, the only universal rule is this:

Some rules (such as the two you’ve given) might hold 95%+ of the time, but unfortunately there may be weird and arbitrary exceptions that you’ll just have to learn.

Source: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/365074/the-use-of-the-definite-article-with-the-names-of-museums-art-galleries-etc/365083#365083

Is it capitalization?

Because a cursory look at the Wikipedia page for capitalization also reveals that it is not without its quirks.

For example:

planets and other celestial bodies: “Jupiter”, “the Crab Nebula”; and “the Earth”, “the Sun”, or “the Moon” should be capitalized according to the International Astronomical Union based on its manual of style, but style guides may suggest differently.[19]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalization_in_English

Is it the fact the way something is written almost has no bearing on how it’s pronounced?

Please tell me your thoughts.

  • zerofk@lemmy.zip
    6·
    2 days ago

    Mädchen being neuter is because it is, in its origin, a diminutive. It literally meant “little maid”. It comes from the word Magt (maid, virgin, miss) with the suffix -chen, meaning “little”.

    And all diminutives are, you guessed it, neuter.

    Diminutives are interesting, I think it would be nice if English still had them. You can express that something is small without using the words “little“ or “small”, which gives it a different nuance. Sometimes you can do this in English with -y or -let (kitty, booklet) but it’s not very common.