Is the word "ima" capitalized or lowercase when it doesn't start a sentence?

If you're making up words, what do you care if your capitalization is proper? If we're paying attention to some grammar rules and not others, Ima would be capitalized in the same way its first part, I'm, is. But to be totally grammatically proper, you wouldn't be using "Ima" as a word at all. The actual phrase closest to the meaning of "Ima," I believe, would be not "I'm a," but "I'm going to." It seems Ima is a very strange contraction indeed. I think it came from "I'm gonna," a slang phrase itself. If that phrase was shortened according to the usual rules of contractions, there would be apostrophes in both places where there are missing letters, leading to "I'm'a," which looks kind of weird. Ima just take them both out and say "Ima" is correct(ish).

If you must use this abomination of a word, surely the I, as the first person singular pronoun, should be capitalised wherever it appears in a sentence. ima looks odd. But applying lexical strictness to a sloppy slang word might be a lost cause anyway.

Don't suppose I shall ever use it myself, but I agree with you about slang words gaining respectability over time. Like innit - another horrible word that I only use ironically (so that's OK then).It is very useful, and French and German already have a single expression - n'est-ce pas and nicht wahr - for all the isn't it, are you, may we, couldn't it be, ought they to have .. etc expressions. That one will gain currency I am sure, so Ima might do as well. As long as you SPELL IT WITH A CAPITAL I.

Urban Dictionary does list several definitions for the word, but offers no suggestions on capitalization. I say we standardize it right now. In my opinion, extra capitalizations like "I" and "Lord" are on their way out of usage due to lazy texting. We might as well cut out the middle man and declare that "ima" should be typed and written in the lower case unless it begins a sentence.

the word ima is still slang. It is however a word and grammar still applies to it. Because it is the slang of saying "I am a" the I is capitalised because it is a pronoun.

however, because it is slang, people dont really care about grammar, so either way is acceptable.

Strong in this one, Ima sensing, the Force is.

Love it! Capitalized, and apostrophized. How exciting to be in on this! I might just split. xx

'ima' is not a word, never was or will be.

(Maybe as a slang word).

The 'I" is ALWAYS capitalized when referring to yourself.

I'm a (I am a).

Oh, I can see your quandary alright, but don't begin now with using 'made up' words or slang words. If you do, you'll soon think and believe that they are acceptable.

as long as people know what ya sayz Idon tik it madters, I usually say useta ' instead of used to, which when you think about it is a strange way to use a past tense in our language.So yea, what I am sayin is it don't matter, language is changing all the time.

ima thinking 'ima' does not get capitalized, just to piss off people even more.

I always write it like this; I'ma