Grammar nerds argue over apostrophe in Harris-Walz.
It seems that even the smallest grammatical details can spark fiery debates, as evidenced by the recent selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. The controversy? Whether to use an apostrophe when indicating possession of proper nouns ending in S.
The debate over using an apostrophe with possessive proper names is not a new one, but it gained momentum following President Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Harris. Is it Harris’ or Harris’s? The selection of Walz with his similar-sounding surname only intensified the discussion.
Renowned language experts like Benjamin Dreyer and Ron Woloshun have weighed in on the issue, with Dreyer advocating for adding the ‘s to proper names ending in S for simplicity’s sake. Meanwhile, Woloshun’s stance is that if the S is pronounced, it should be spelled out as well.
Despite the ongoing debate, major publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have taken a firm stance on the issue, aligning with Dreyer and Woloshun’s recommendations. However, the Associated Press (AP) maintains its traditional guideline of using only an apostrophe for singular proper names ending in S.
According to linguistics expert Timothy Pulju, the usage of possessives with proper names ending in S has evolved over the centuries, with the apostrophe being added to denote possession while maintaining the same pronunciation. Pulju acknowledges that language is fluid and expects the ‘s form to eventually become dominant.
When it comes to the upcoming presidential election, if Harris emerges victorious in November, she would become the fourth U.S. president with a last name ending in S. The last president with such a surname was Rutherford B. Hayes, elected in 1876 before the social media era. Despite the lack of online grammar discussions during his tenure, the issue over apostrophes persists in the current political landscape.
While experts and publications continue to debate the use of apostrophes with possessive proper names ending in S, the Harris campaign remains ambiguous on the matter. Different press releases from her team have alternated between using “Harris’s” and “Harris’.” Perhaps this linguistic debate will only be resolved once and for all after the election results are in.
