As a linguistic expert, I specialize in the nuances of language and the classification of words within the English lexicon. Let's delve into the nature of the word "holiday" and its grammatical categorization.

In the English language, nouns are words that represent a person, place, thing, or idea. They can be further divided into various types, with common and proper nouns being two of the primary classifications.

A common noun is a general term for a category of people, places, or things. It does not refer to a specific individual or entity but rather to any member of a group. For example, "book" and "city" are common nouns because they refer to any book or city, not a particular one.

On the other hand, a proper noun is a specific name for a particular person, place, or thing. It is always capitalized in English, and it is unique, not referring to any other entity in the same category. For instance, "New York" is a proper noun because it refers to a specific city, not any city.

Now, let's consider the word "holiday." A holiday is generally a day set aside for celebration, rest, or commemoration. When we use the term "holiday" without any specific qualifier, it is a common noun. It refers to the concept of a holiday in general, not any particular holiday. For example, when we say "I love holidays," we are speaking about holidays as a category, not a specific one.

However, when "holiday" is used as part of a proper name, such as "Holiday Inn," it takes on a different role. In this context, "Holiday Inn" is a proper noun because it refers to a specific chain of hotels, not any hotel or the general concept of inns.

To summarize, the word "holiday" by itself is a common noun because it refers to the general concept of a day off or a day of celebration. It does not designate a specific holiday or entity, which is the defining characteristic of a proper noun. The classification of "holiday" as a common noun is consistent with its use in the English language, as it aligns with the definition and function of common nouns in general discourse.

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Hence it is a Common Noun. A Proper Noun is name of a particular person , Place and or thing.--Holiday' does not come under the purview of this definition. Hence it is not a Proper Noun. ... Holiday Inn is a proper noun, but --holiday-- is not.read more >>