TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: Possessive of a name that ends in X From:"Parks, Beverly L." <parksb -at- HUACHUCA-EMH7 -dot- ARMY -dot- MIL> Date:Fri, 12 Jul 1996 09:14:00 MST
Sigrid A. Schoepel[SMTP:sas -at- WIGGINS -dot- PENTATECHINC -dot- COM] asked-->
>>
How would you punctuate a name that ends in X to make it possessive?
Ajax'
Ajax's
We've looked in The New York Public Library Writer's Guide (nothing
close)
<<
Sigrid, look on page 270 of the NY Pub Lib Writer's Guide. It's not
dead-on, but I think it's fairly close. It says:
"Multisyllabic names ending in the eez or z sound, particularly Greek
names, traditionally take no s after the apostrophe."
Also, the paragraph right above it that deals with forming possessives
and plural possessives of last names ending in s could also apply, IMO.
When you get right down to it, both ways look okay. If I applied the "z
sound" rule, I'd leave off the s.
Bev Parks
parksb -at- huachuca-emh7 -dot- army -dot- mil
TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send administrative commands
ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-