Talk:Maize/FAQ
 | Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the corresponding page Maize. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please update this material when needed. |
This FAQ summarizes common questions about whether this article should be named maize or corn. Sources and content also summarize the common name topic at Maize#Names. To view the response to a question, click the [show] link to the right of the question.
Q1: We in the US and some other countries usually say 'Corn' for this crop plant, so why isn't the article titled 'Corn'?
A1: American usage does not determine use on English Wikipedia, which is answerable to usage in all English-speaking countries. The section Maize#Names in the article summarizes this usage, which is clearly to prefer 'Maize' internationally. As an international encyclopedia, maize is the most recognizable name for our readers across all variations of English and does not have the ambiguity of other names for the plant. Most questions on this subject are directly addressed in sourced content at Maize#Names.
Q2: Since 'Corn' is a common name for the crop, we should use it.
A2: 'Corn' is ambiguous as described in Maize#Names. Its original meaning, still in use, is simply 'grain', any large seed such as a cereal seed. In England this usually meant Wheat; in Scotland, Oats. Old names for maize included 'Indian corn' and 'Turkey corn', grains which seemingly belonged to faraway countries. The single word 'corn', shortened from such old names, remains ambiguous. Because of this, Wikipedia policy discourages terms like 'corn' as article titles when more precise and recognizable names exist.
Q3: If this article is in American English, surely it should be titled Corn as used in American English?
A3: The choice to write the article in American English depends on factors such as the language the article was first written in, which are internal to Wikipedia. That is unrelated to the choice of title, which depends on practice across the world outside Wikipedia. Also, both 'corn' and 'maize' are used in American English, so this is not a case of mutually exclusive regional terms such as color vs. colour. American dictionaries recognize maize as having usage in US English,[1] and U.S. agricultural trade organizations explicitly state the terms are interchangeable in the US.[2] The term maize has specific ties to North American English especially as the region of origin and an original name.
- ↑ "maize". dictionary.cambridge.org. 26 August 2026. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
- ↑ Allen, Guy H. "U.S. Grains – Commodity Overview, Production Cycles and Descriptions" (PDF). U.S. Grains Council. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
Maize (which in the U.S. is interchangeably referred to as corn) is indigenous to the Americas.
Q4: If 'Maize' and 'Corn' are controversial titles, why not use the scientific name Zea mays instead?
A4: The policy on common names mandates the use of English titles for articles where these are in wide use and unambiguously denote the subject of the article, which 'Maize' does. Article titles only default to the scientific name when there is not a suitable common name.
Q5: What about other articles that use the corn in the name such as corn on the cob, dent corn, sweet corn or popcorn?
A5: The additional qualifiers help determine what type of grain is being discussed in these cases and avoids precision issues where the name primarily describes one subject. This isn't the case when using the single word 'corn'. Other names such as maize weevil would be ambiguous if they were labeled corn weevil as other types of weevils infest grains also labeled as 'corn'. Naming of other articles containing the words 'corn' or 'maize' is highly dependent on such context.
Q6: The naming question is important and deserves to be discussed.
A6: It has been debated thoroughly in at least 8 move discussions. You can see all of them in the 'Discussions' list below.