UPPERCASE AND LOWERCASE LETTERS IN THE NAMES OF HOLIDAYS AND COMMEMORATIVE DATES IN EARLY XXI CENTURY: LINGUISTIC ASPECTS

Abstract

The article analyzes spelling of names of holidays and festive dates in the beginning of the XXI century in accordance with current rules of Russian language. The author pays special attention to the observance of the rules of usage of uppercase and lowercase letters by the writers: this group of rules was edited in the 90s and has significant differences from the wording of 1956. These discrepancies led to the fact that a number of cases of usage of uppercase letters from the author’s point of view, including those studied in the article, despite the detailed recommendations of orthographic jurists, find themselves in an unstable zone. Writers begin to spontaneously develop recommendations for themselves, resulting in the actual destruction of the rule. The researchers come across the tendency familiar from previous periods of the Russian language – contrary to the rules, there is a hyper-correct use of capital letters, their use grows, and in connection with this extra-linguistic principles of their idiomatic usage are developed.