NLNZ language guidance for RDA

Draft

CC BY

LocalPolicy

2024/02/07

Much of the content of this page has been derived from the Community Resources section Terms in specific languages. Content from the Te Taura Whiri Guidelines for Māori orthography have also been consulted. Expanded content and local examples are particularly visible in the English and Māori sections.

The content has also been rearranged to give preference to New Zealand and Pacific Island languages.

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New Zealand primary languages

English

Capitalisation

General guidance

Capitalise the first word or the abbreviation of the first word in a title, or in a title of an issue, part, or iteration.

Capitalise the first part of a hyphenated compound. Only capitalise the second part of a hyphenated compound if it is a noun or a proper adjective or if it has the same force as the first part.

  • Nineteenth-Century
  • Shoe-Maker

Capitalise a plural generic term when it is used with distinctive nouns as part of two or more proper names. Do not capitalise a generic term that is not part of a proper name.

  • Waikato and Whanganui Rivers

Capitalise the word I as a pronoun and interjections such as O and Oh.

  • How I found my pathway to librarianship

Capitalise letters that refer to letters of the alphabet.

  • A
  • W

Capitalise formal or conventional titles of documents such as charters, constitutions, legislative acts, pacts, plans, statements of policy, treaties.

  • United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • Agenda 21
  • the African Economic Community Treaty 
  • the Balfour Declaration
  • the Māori Language Act 1987 
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Capitalise titles of manifestations of sacred works, divisions of sacred works, groups of books, individual books, the word ‘Book’ when it refers to the entire Christian Bible, special selections, versions of sacred works, including the first word of a title of a special selection from the Bible if it is commonly referred to by that title.

  • Qur’an 
  • Bible
  • Torah
  • Apocrypha
  • The Sermon on the mount
  • The ten commandments

Capitalise names of religions, sects, or specific religious movements, deities, and major religious concepts.

  • Buddhism
  • Islam
  • Saraswati
  • Sufism
  • Allah
  • the Eucharist
  • Holy Spirit
  • Lucifer

Capitalise Latin names of categories such as a phylum, class, order, family, or genus, and a name of an intermediate grouping such as a subclass.

  • Cnidaria
  • Archaea
  • Lepidoptera

Capitalise names of languages.

  • Māori
  • English

Capitalise names of legendary places.

  • Atlantis

Do not capitalise an article, preposition, or conjunction that is included in a name or title of an entity unless it is part of a name of a place.

  • New Zealand Tramways and Public Passenger Transport Authorities Employees' Industrial Union of Workers

Do not capitalise the first word of a title if it is preceded by punctuation indicating that the introductory text has been omitted.

  • ... drawings from Murihiku

Do not capitalise the first word or the abbreviation of the first word of other title information unless it would normally be capitalised in English.

  • Kuaotunu : the last bach on the planet

Do not capitalise words or abbreviations used for part numbering unless the word or abbreviation is capitalised in English.

  • This is part 1 of the new series on safety regulations

Do not capitalise a word that is derived from a name when it is used with a specialised meaning.

Do not capitalise the second part of a hyphenated compound if it modifies the first part or if the two parts constitute a single word. 

  • English-speaking
  • Thirty-five

Do not capitalise a prefix that is joined by a hyphen to a capitalised word, unless other guidelines require its capitalisation.

  • pre-Cambrian
  • anti-Deutsch
  • un-American
  • pro-British

Do not capitalise English derivatives of scientific names, or names of species or subspecies. 

  • Sphenodon punctatus
  • arachnid

Do not capitalise words derived from names of deities.

  • godly
  • christological
  • messianic
  • saturnine

Do not capitalise the names of political or economic systems or schools of thought or their proponents unless derived from proper nouns, or political groups other than parties.

  • socialism
  • Frankfurt school of sociology

In cases of unusual capitalisation, capitalise the title as it appears on the source of information.

  • www.ilove-marrakesh.com 

Musical works

Do not capitalise words or abbreviations used for Work: numeric designation of musical work, unless the word is, or the abbreviation stands for, a proper name.

For thematic index numbers, follow the capitalisation practice used in the thematic index.

Names of persons

Capitalise words and initials included in a name of a person according to the person’s preference.


If a name of person includes a prefix from a language other than English (e.g., de, des, la, l’, della, von, von der), follow the capitalisation that is used by a person for the prefix. If the capitalisation is not known, capitalise the prefix.

  • Lynley van Alphen

Capitalise epithets occurring with, or used in place of personal names.

  • the Iron Lady
  • Dubya

Capitalise terms of honour or respect.

  • Your Honour

Capitalise terms of office when referring to the office rather than a particular person occupying the office (such as president, prime minister, and governor).

  • The President
  • The Governor-general

Capitalise named professorships.

  • Jane Allison, Professor of Biochemistry

Capitalise names or abbreviations of academic degrees, honour, religious order, etc.

  • Ghader Bashiri, PhD

Capitalise terms of rank or royalty or nobility, but do not capitalise the term bart.

  • Queen
  • Countess

Capitalise ordinal numbers denoting order of succession, when expressed in words appearing after a name of a sovereign or pope.

  • John Paul II

Capitalise decorations, medals, or awards appearing with the name.

  • Yolanda Soryl, CNZM

Capitalise personifications.

  • Death and the maiden

Capitalise terms of address when preceding a personal name.

  • Dr Deanna
  • Dame Te Atairangikaahu
  • Mother Jones
  • Inspector Morse

Capitalise terms such as esquire, junior, or senior and their abbreviations.

  • John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Capitalise terms of rank when preceding a personal name.

  • Count Potocki de Montalk
  • Sergeant Smith [police rank]

Capitalise terms of religious status. 

  • the Dalai Lama
  • the Pope

Capitalise terms of religious rank.

  • Bishop Justin Duckworth

Capitalise terms of royalty.

  • King Tūheitia
  • Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat

Do not capitalise civil or military terms of rank, or professional or academic titles apart from professorships.

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise institutions, associations, conferences, companies, religious denominations or orders, local places of worship etc., or departments or divisions.

  • St Andrew's on The Terrace 
  • The NZ Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
  • Al-Ameen’s Islamic School
  • Trade Aid New Zealand

Capitalise international organizations or alliances.

  • Human Rights Watch
  • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Capitalise the full names of legislative or judicial bodies; administrative departments, bureaus, or offices; armed forces (or component part of an armed force). If there is an accepted shortened form of name for any of these corporate bodies, capitalise the shortened form.

  • the New Zealand House of Representatives
  • the Māori Battalion of the 2nd New Zealand Division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force

Capitalise names of market grades.

Capitalise names of political parties.

  • Māori Party
  • New Zealand National Party
  • Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

Capitalise a noun, noun phrase, adjective, or adjectival phrase derived from the name of a corporate body that refers to a member or members of the body.

Capitalise trade and variety names.

  • Nadine potatoes

Do not capitalise articles preceding names, even when part of the official name.

Do not capitalise generic words (e.g., society, company, conference) when used alone or with an article.

  • the workshop on nanotechnology
  • a conference will be held in 2025

Names of places

Capitalise an article in a name of a place if it forms an accepted part of the name according to gazetteers.

  • Los Angeles

Capitalise geographic features, regions, etc.

  • Caroline Bay

Capitalise political divisions (e.g., a country, state, province, city)

  • Dunedin
  • Northland

Capitalise words such as empire, kingdom, state, country, and city following a proper name if it is a commonly accepted part of the name. Do not capitalise such a word when used alone to indicate a political division.

  • Orange Free State

Capitalise popular names of places. 

  • Roto Vegas

Capitalise names of a building, monument, or other structure, and a name of a road or street.

  • Molesworth Street
  • the Beehive
  • Ātea a Rangi Star Compass

Capitalise the names of planets, stars, constellations, asteroids, etc, including Earth when referrring to the planet.

  • Orion
  • the Southern Cross
  • Mercury
  • Deimos

Do not capitalise a descriptive adjective that is not part of an accepted name.

Names of timespans

Capitalise days of the week and months of the year.

  • Monday
  • January

Capitalise distinctive words in the names of geologic eras, periods, etc.

  • Eocene epoch

Capitalise secular or religious holidays and religious seasons.

  • Eid
  • Easter
  • Hannukah

Capitalise historical or cultural events, major historical or cultural periods.

  • the Arab Spring
  • the Enlightenment
  • Māori Language Week

Capitalise major religious events.

  • Deepavali
  • Laba Festival

Do not capitalize a name of a season.

  • summer
  • autumn

Do not capitalize a word such as era or period or a modifier such as early, middle, or late when it is used descriptively.

  • post-apartheid era

Abbreviations

General abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
alto A
Anno Domini A.D.
baritone Bar
bass B
Before Christ B.C.
et cetera etc.
mezzo-soprano Mz
opus op.
soprano S
tenor T

Carrier

Term Abbreviation
book bk.
part pt.
parts pts.
volume v.
volumes v.

Places

Do not abbreviate the name of a city or town even if it appears in the list (e.g. Washington, D.C. not Wash., D.C.). Do not abbreviate a name that is not in the list.

Term Abbreviation
Alabama Ala.
Alberta Alta.
Arizona Ariz.
Arkansas Ark.
Australian Capital Territory A.C.T.
British Columbia B.C.
California Calif.
Colorado Colo.
Connecticut Conn.
Delaware Del.
District of Columbia D.C.
Florida Fla.
Georgia Ga.
Illinois Ill.
Indiana Ind.
Kansas Kan.
Kentucky Ky.
Louisiana La.
Maine Me.
Manitoba Man.
Maryland Md.
Massachusetts Mass.
Michigan Mich.
Minnesota Minn.
Mississippi Miss.
Missouri Mo.
Montana Mont.
Nebraska Neb.
Nevada Nev.
New Brunswick N.B.
New Hampshire N.H.
New Jersey N.J.
New Mexico N.M.
New South Wales N.S.W.
New York N.Y.
New Zealand N.Z.
Newfoundland Nfld.
Newfoundland and Labrador N.L.
North Carolina N.C.
North Dakota N.D.
Northern Territory N.T.
Northwest Territories N.W.T.
Nova Scotia N.S.
Oklahoma Okla.
Ontario Ont.
Oregon Or.
Pennsylvania Pa.
Prince Edward Island P.E.I.
Puerto Rico P.R.
Queensland Qld.
Rhode Island R.I.
Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic R.S.F.S.R.
Saskatchewan Sask.
South Australia S.A.
South Carolina S.C.
South Dakota S.D.
Tasmania Tas.
Tennessee Tenn.
Territory of Hawaii T.H.
Texas Tex.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics U.S.S.R.
United Kingdom U.K.
United States U.S.
Vermont Vt.
Victoria Vic.
Virginia Va.
Washington Wash.
West Virginia W. Va.
Western Australia W.A.
Wisconsin Wis.
Wyoming Wyo.

Māori

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • he
  • ngā or ngaa
  • te

Capitalisation

General guidance

Follow Guidelines for Māori language orthography when recording or transcribing Māori language content.

Capitalise the names of national, ethnic or religious groups when used as nouns or adjectives.

  • Te Maori
  • Ngāti Toa Rangatira

Do not capitalise the word māori when it means ‘ordinary, normal, natural.’

Do not capitalise the definite article te where it precedes the name of a book, article, act, or document.

  • te Kāwenata Hou – the New Testament
  • te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi
  • he Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Niu Tireni – the Declaration of Independence

Do not capitalise ngāi and ngāti when these are used to preface a term other than a recognised iwi or hapū.

  • ngāi taua – we, Māori people
  • ngāti tūreiti - latecomers

Names of persons

Capitalise articles, words and initials included in a name of a person according to the person’s preference. 

Capitalise the definite article Te where it is the first word of the name of a person.

  • Te Wharehuia Milroy

Capitalise kinship terms used in front or in place of personal names

  • Whaea Mere
  • Koro

Capitalise terms of address used in front of personal names

  • Te Heikōkō Mataira
  • Kāwana Kerei

Do not capitalise the definite article te where it precedes a term of address indicating a person’s title or position.

  • te Pouhuaki
  • te Pirimia

Do not capitalise kinship terms or terms of address where they follow e or kei.

  • kei aku nui, kei aku rahi
  • e te whānau

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise articles, words and initials included in a name of a corporate body as presented in resources associated with the corporate body.

Capitalise the definite article Te and Ngā where it is the first word of the name of a corporate body.

  • Ngā Aho Whakaari 
  • Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa

Do not capitalise the definite article where it preceds the name of an institution but is not part of the actual name.

  • te Karauna – the Crown

Names of timespans

Capitalise days of the week and months of the year where these follow the Pākehā calendar

  • Rātū
  • Wenerei
  • Whiringa ā-nuku
  • Oketopa

Do not capitalise the definite article ‘te’ where it precedes the names of festivals and celebrations.

  • te Tau Hou – the New Year
  • te Wiki o te Reo Maori – Maori Language Week

Do not capitalise the definite article ‘te’ where it precedes the names of days of the week or months.

  • te Mane - Monday
  • te Mahuru - September

 

Languages of the Pacific region

Fijian

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • a
  • e dua na
  • e na dua
  • na

Hawaiian

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • he
  • ka
  • ke
  • na
  • o*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Niuean

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • a
  • e
  • e taha
  • ha
  • ko e

Rarotongan

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • ngā
  • te

Samoan

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • le
  • ʻo le
  • ʻo lo
  • ʻo se
  • se

Tahitian

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • e
  • e tahi
  • hui
  • ma
  • maa
  • mau
  • na
  • o
  • pue
  • tau
  • te
  • te hoe

Tokelauan

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • he
  • ko na
  • ko te
  • nā
  • ni
  • o
  • te

Tongan

Initial articles

Treat the following words as initial articles:

  • e
  • ha
  • he
  • ko e
  • ko ha
  • koe

Other languages

Afrikaans

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • die
  • `n

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Record an article or preposition as the first element

Albanian

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • një

Arabic

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ال
  • al-
  • el

Capitalisation of initial articles

Do not capitalise the initial article whether written separately or hyphenated with the following word

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Apply the following instructions only to names that:

  • are originally written in the Arabic alphabet (regardless of their origin); and
  • do not contain a surname or a name performing the function of a surname.

In case of doubt, assume that a name of a person active in the twentieth century or later includes a surname. Assume that names of persons active in previous centuries do not include a surname.

First element

When a name consists of two or more parts, record the part or combination of arts by which the person is best known as the first element. Determine this from reference sources. In case of doubt, record the first part of the name as the first element.

Essential parts of the name

Determine the essential parts of the name to be included.

If the first element is not the given name and the given name is customarily used in the name by which the person is known, include the given name.

If the first element is not a patronymic derived from the name of the father and the patronymic is customarily used in the name by which the person is known, include the patronymic.

Include an additional name, descriptive epithet, or term of honour that is treated as part of the name if it assists in identifying the individual.

Generally omit other parts of the name, particularly patronymics derived from anyone other than the father.

Order of parts

When the essential parts of the name have been determined, determine the order of the parts. Record first the best-known part or combination of parts. Record the other parts in the following order: khiṭāb, kunyah, ism, patronymic, any other name.

Insert a comma after the first element unless it is the first part of the name.

Variant access points for person

Record a name using another part as the first element if the name might reasonably be searched by that part.

Record a name resulting from a different transliteration.

Baluchi

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • al-

Basque

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • bat*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Bosnian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
broj br.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

  • bijelac
  • crnac
  • semit

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • bosanski

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • islam
  • musliman

Do not capitalise the pronoun ja.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ti
  • Tvoj
  • Vi
  • Vam
  • Vas
  • Vaš

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person.

  • sultan Mehmed
  • magistar Imamović
  • direktor Kovačević

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a corporate body.

  • Udruženje izdavača i knjižara Bosne i Hercegovine
  • Republički zavod za zaštitu spomenika
  • Pozorište lutaka Sarajevo

Names of places

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a place.

  • Bihaćki okrug
  • Mostarska opština
  • Ulica bosanska
  • Ulica Bosanske Srebrne
  • Opština Bosanski Brod

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of an administrative division of a country.

  • Bosansko-podrinjski kanton
  • Srednjobosanski kanton, Općina Bihac

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a historic period and event.

  • Bronzano doba
  • Isa-begova vakufnama
  • Ustanak Desidijata pod Batonom
  • Prvi svjetski rat

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a holiday.

  • Kurban bajram
  • Božić
  • Ramazanski bajram
  • Sveti Petar, Međunarodni praznik rada

Brahui

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • al-

Breton

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • al
  • an
  • ar
  • eul*
  • eun*
  • eur*
  • ul*
  • un
  • ur*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Bulgarian

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

  • българин
  • софиянец
  • семит

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • будизъм
  • лютеранец

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • софийски улици

Do not capitalise the pronoun аз.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Вие
  • Вий
  • Ви
  • Вас
  • Вам

Names of persons

Capitalize свети and a term of rank, honour, or office if it is followed by a name.

  • Министър Даскалов
  • Свети Климент

Capitalize a term of rank, honour, or office that occurs in conjunction with the name of a well-known person.

  • Отец Паисий
  • Χаджи Димитър
  • Бачо Киро

In general, do not capitalize a term of rank, honour, office, or address.

  • министър
  • крал
  • отец
  • професор
  • отец Борис

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a corporate body.

  • Българска комунистическа партия
  • Организация на обединените народи
  • Държавна библиотека "Васил Коларов"
  • Български червен кръст

Names of places

Capitalise the first word of a name of a place unless it is a common noun. Capitalise other words only if they are proper nouns.

  • Орлово гнездо
  • Бряг на слоновата кост
  • Стара Загора
  • Охридско езеро
  • село Белица
  • Червеният площад
  • ул. Шипка

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of an administrative division of a country.

  • Обединена арабска република
  • Народна република България
  • Софийска област
  • Министерство на селскостопанското производство

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a historic period and event.

  • Първата световна война
  • Великата октомврийска социалистическа революция
  • Възраждането
  • Битката при Косово поле

Burmese

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a Burmese or Karen name includes a Western given name preceding the vernacular name(s), record the vernacular name(s) as the first element. Transpose the Western name ot the end.

Term of address, etc.

Treat the term of address that usually accompanies a Burmese or Karen name as an integral part of the name. If the name of the same person is found with different terms of address, use the term of highest honour. Distinguish terms of address from the same words used as names.

Catalan

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • el
  • els
  • en*
  • l'
  • la
  • les
  • un*
  • una*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Chinese

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Where a name of Chinese origin contains a non-Chinese given name and the name is found in the order: [non-Chinese given name] [surname] [Chinese given names], record this as: 
[surname], [non-Chinese given name] [Chinese given names]

Croatian

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

  • bijelac
  • crnac
  • semit

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • hrvatski

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • katoličanstvo
  • katolik

Do not capitalise the pronoun ja.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ti
  • Tvoj
  • Vi
  • Vam
  • Vas
  • Vaš

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person.

kralj Tomislav

  • profesor Jurić
  • sveti Stjepan

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a corporate body.

  • Turistička zajednica grada Splita
  • Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu
  • Savez samostalnih sindikata Hrvatske

Names of places

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a place.

  • Slavonski Brod
  • Hrvatsko zagorje
  • Gundulićeva ulica
  • Trg bana Josipa Jelačića

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of an administrative division of a country.

  • Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
  • Istarska županija
  • Primorsko-goranska županija
  • Zadarska županija
  • Grad Zagreb

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a historic period and event.

  • Srednji vijek
  • Seljačka buna
  • Krbavska bitka
  • Bitka na Mohačkom polju

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a holiday.

  • Sveti Petar
  • Tri kralja
  • Dan domovinske zahvalnosti

Czech

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
číslo čís.
kniha kn.
svazek sv.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise the pronoun já.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ty
  • Tvůj
  • Tobě
  • Vy
  • Vám
  • Vás
  • Váš

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank, honour, office, or address that is not associated with a name of a person.

  • doktor
  • král
  • ministr
  • svatý

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise only the first word in a name of a corporate body.

  • Československá republika
  • Česká akademie věd a umění
  • Bratří čeští
  • Milosrdní bratří

Do not capitalise a name of a branch of a school, conservatory, university, ministry, or department of government.

  • ministerstvo školství
  • závodní rada

Names of places

When a name of a place consists of a distinctive word and a generic word, capitalise only the distinctive word, e.g. Tichý oceán.

For the names of streets, capitalise the first word and any other word that is a derivative of a proper name.

  • U invalidovny
  • Na Smetance

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a surname consists of a place name in the genitive case preceded by z, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

Danish

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • de
  • den
  • det
  • en*
  • et*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from proper names.

  • europeisk
  • københavnsk
  • luthersk
  • svensk

Do not capitalise the personal pronoun

  • jeg

Capitalise the personal pronouns

  • De
  • Dem
  • Deres

Capitalise the familiar form I (you) to distinguish it from i (in).

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix is of Scandinavian, German, or Dutch origin, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix is the Dutch de, record the prefix as the first element.

Terms of rank

In general, do not capitalise terms of rank of persons.

  • fru Larsen
  • kong Haakon VII
  • Gustav, prins av Vasa

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise the first word and the word following an adjective indicating royal privilege in the names of corporate bodies. Capitalise other words, such as proper nouns, according to the appropriate guideline.

  • Kungl. Biblioteket
  • Ministeriet for kulturelle anliggender
  • Selskabet for dansk skolehistorie

In general, capitalise only the first word of a compound name, other than a compound personal name.

  • Förenta staterna
  • Kronborg slot
  • Norske kirke

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise the names of days of the week, of months, and of holidays.

  • jul
  • nyår

Dutch

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • de
  • een*
  • eene*
  • het*
  • 'n
  • 't*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Capitalise a single letter that is the first word of a sentence if it is the interjection O, the pronoun U, or a letter referring to a letter of the alphabet (e.g., A is een aapje).

Do not capitalise any other single letter that is the first word of a sentence or the first word of a proper name. Capitalise the next word:

  • ’s Avonds is het koud
  • ’k Weet niet wat hij zegt
  • ’s Gravenhage

Do not capitalise the pronoun ik.

In general, capitalise the following pronouns used in personal correspondence:

  • U
  • Uw
  • Gij

Names of persons

Capitalise the following prefixes if they are not preceded by a given name:

  • de
  • ten
  • van

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname is of Dutch origin with a prefix that is ver, record the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname of a Netherlander has a prefix that is not of Dutch origin, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

Esperanto

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • la

Finnish

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
numero nro

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

Do not capitalise a name of a religion, sect, or specific religious movement. Do not capitalise a name describing its members and any adjective derived from such a name.

Do not capitalise a name of a language.

Do not capitalise a name of a soil type.

Names of person

Do not capitalise a term of rank indicating royalty, nobility, rank, or profession.

  • prinsessa Victoria
  • presidentti Sauli Niinistö
  • filosofian maisteri Manninen

Do not capitalise a term of honour or address of a revered person including the words.

  • äiti
  • isä
  • veli
  • sisar
  • isä Camillo
  • äiti Ursula
  • sisar Theresa

Exceptions include established phrases:

  • Äiti Teresa
  • Neitsyt Maria
  • Pyhä Neitsyt
  • Pyhä Äiti
  • Jumalan Äiti

Capitalise the word pyhä for a saint.

  • Pyhä Pietari
  • Pyhä Birgitta
  • Erik Pyhä

Names of corporate bodies

Do not capitalise a name of a legislative or judicial body; an administrative department, bureau, or office; a religious denomination or order; or a local government.

  • eduskunta
  • hallitus
  • duuma
  • knesset
  • ylähuone
  • opetus-ja kulttuuriministeriö
  • korkein oikeus
  • kaupunginvaltuusto
  • hiippakunta

In most cases, do not capitalise a name of an institution, council, or committee, or a name of a department or division of a unit.

  • opintotukilautakunta
  • humanistinen tiedekunta

For exceptions, see the guidelines provided by the Institute for the Languages of Finland.

For the names of organizations, companies, and associations, follow the capitalisation of the commonly known form of a name. In case of doubt, capitalise only the first word of a compound name.

  • Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura
  • Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura

Names of places

Capitalise a name of a building, monument, or other structure. Capitalise a name of a geographic feature, region, etc., but do not capitalise a descriptive adjective that is not part of an accepted name.

  • Latinalainen Amerikka
  • Järvi-Suomi
  • koti-Suomi
  • entisajan Eurooppa

In general, follow the guidelines provided by the Institute for the Languages of Finland.

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Do not capitalise a name of a secular or religious holiday and of a religious season.

Do not capitalise a name of a geologic era, period, etc.

French

Abbreviations

General

Term Abbreviation
numéro no
numéros

nos
partie part.
parties part.
volume vol.
volumes vol.

Do not use the abbreviations for partie or parties when recording an extent of notated music.

Terms of rank in French

Masculine Feminine
duc duchesse
marquis marquise
comte comtesse
vicomte vicomtesse
baron baronne
chevalier  
écuyer  
prince* princesse*

These titles may be used by individuals claiming royal status.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise names of members of religious groups, sects, religious orders, political and other organisations, names of religions, and names of languages.

  • les jésuites
  • les démocrates
  • le bouddhisme
  • l’anglais

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from names of members of religious groups, sects, religious orders, political and other organisations, names of religions, names of languages, geographic names, and adjectives indicating nationality.

  • la religion catholique
  • la région alpine
  • le peuple français

Capitalise nouns indicating nationality or residence. If the noun is a compound word, capitalise each part of the name.

  • les Français
  • les Montréalais
  • les Européens
  • les Belges flamands
  • les Anglo-Saxons
  • les Néo-Zélandais
  • les Sud-Américains

Do not capitalise a personal pronoun.

Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns in names of documents such as charters, constitutions, legislative acts, pacts, plans, statements of policy, or treaties.

  • Accord général sur les tarifs douaniers et la commerce
  • Acte de l'Amérique du Nord britannique
  • Convention de Genève relative au traitement des prisonniers de guerre
  • Loi sur l'indemnisation des accidents du travail

Names of persons

Capitalise a prefix consisting of an article or a contraction of an article and a preposition.

  • La Fontaine
  • Du Cange

Do not capitalise terms of rank indicating rank or office.

  • le roi
  • le ministre
  • le pape Léon X

Capitalise titles of address and titles of respectful address or reference.

  • Monsieur
  • Mme de Lafayette
  • Son Éminence
  • Sa Majesté le roi de France

Do not capitalise saint (sainte, etc.) when it refers exclusively to a person; otherwise capitalise it.

  • saint Thomas More
  • la cathédrale Saint-Lambert
  • l’été de la Saint-Martin

Capitalise État when it refers to a country, a nation, its territory, or its administration:

  • l'État de New York
  • les États baltes
  • le Conseil d’État
  • un coup d’État
  • l'état civil
  • l'état-major

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise the first word, any adjectives preceding the first noun, the first noun, and all proper nouns in the names of corporate bodies.

  • Société de chimie physique
  • Grand Orchestre symphonique de la R.T.B.
  • Église réformée de France

Notable exceptions include:

  • Société des Nations

Capitalise the nouns and adjectives in hyphenated corporate names.

  • le Théâtre-Français

Do not capitalise the name of a political or economic system or school of thought or its proponents that is derived from a proper noun.

  • marxisme
  • cartésianisme
  • thomisme

Capitalise Église when it refers to the church as an institution.

Names of places

Capitalise the nouns and adjectives in hyphenated names of places, buildings, monuments, or other structures.

  • le Bas-Canada
  • la Forêt-Noire
  • I’Île-du-Prince-Édouard
  • les Palais-Royal
  • le Pont-Neuf
  • le Royaume-Uni

Do not capitalise a common noun used as a generic word in the name of a building, monument, or other structure. If the common noun is preceded by an adjective, capitalise both the noun and the adjective.

  • le château de Versailles
  • la chapelle Sixtine
  • la statue de la Liberté
  • la salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
  • le Grand Théâtre de Québec

In general, do not capitalise a common noun used as a generic word in a geographic name or in the name of a road or street.

  • la mer Rouge
  • l’île aux Oiseaux
  • rue de la Nation
  • avenue de l'Opéra
  • 3e Avenue

Notable exceptions include:

  • le Bassin parisien
  • le Massif central

Do not capitalise an adjective accompanying a proper geographic name if it specifies a part of the whole represented by the proper name.

  • l'Amérique latine
  • l'Asie centrale
  • le bas Saint-Laurent
  • l'Asie Mineure

Capitalise a word such as empire, royaume, province, pays, and ville in the name of a political division if the word is accompanied by one or more adjectives. Also capitalise any adjective preceding such a word.

  • la Confédération helvétique
  • le Pays basque
  • la République arabe unie
  • le Troisième Reich

Do not capitalise such a word when it is followed by a proper noun.

  • la principauté de Monaco
  • le pays de Galles
  • la ville de Fribourg

Do not capitalise église when it indicates a building.

  • l’église Notre-Dame

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Do not capitalise a common noun used as a generic word in the name of a holiday such as fête and jour.

  • la fête du Travail
  • le jour des Morts
  • le mercredi des Cendres

For names of holidays that consist of a distinctive noun followed by an adjective or complement, capitalise only the noun.

  • le Premier de l'an
  • l'Action de grâces
  • le Mardi gras

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes a prefix that consists of an article or of a contraction of an article and a preposition, record the prefix as the first element.

Galician

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • a
  • as
  • o*
  • unha

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

German

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
Band Bd.
Bände Bde.
Nummer Nr.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • das
  • dem
  • den
  • der
  • des
  • die
  • ein*
  • eine*
  • einem
  • einen
  • einer
  • eines

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

Capitalise all nouns and words used as nouns.

  • das Buch
  • das Geben
  • die Armen
  • das intime Du
  • Not tun
  • ausser Acht lassen
  • aufs Neue
  • fürs Erste
  • im Voraus
  • die Übrigen
  • heute Mittag
  • im Grossen und Ganzen
  • das Hundert
  • das Tausend

Do not capitalise a fraction when it directly precedes a noun or a cardinal number.

  • ein viertel Kilogramm
  • um ein Viertel vor acht

Do not capitalise a proper adjective unless otherwise indicated.

  • die deutsche Sprache

Capitalise an adjective that consists of a personal name followed by an apostrophe and the ending –sche, including its inflected forms. Do not capitalise other adjectives containing a personal name.

  • die Darwin’sche Evolutionstheorie
  • das Wackernagel’sche Gesetz
  • die Goethe’schen Dramen
  • die platonische Liebe
  • eine kafkaeske Stimmung

Capitalise an indeclinable adjective that is derived from a name of a place.

  • Schweizer Ware
  • die Zürcher Bürger

Capitalise an adjective, pronoun, or numeral that is used in a name or title.

  • Alexander der Grosse
  • das Schweizerische Konsulat
  • Seine Excellenz
  • Friedrich der Zweite
  • Bund der Technischen Angestellten und Beamten
  • der Erste der Klasse

Do not capitalise the pronoun ich.

Capitalise the personal pronouns Sie and Ihr and their inflected forms when used in formal address.

Do not capitalise a pronoun.

  • jemand
  • ein jeder
  • der eine . . . der andere
  • die beiden
  • die meisten

Do not capitalise a cardinal number that is less than one million.

  • hundert
  • tausend
  • an die zwanzig
  • wir zwei
  • alle drei
  • bis drei zählen

Do not capitalise an adverb.

  • mittags
  • anfangs
  • morgen
  • montags

Do not capitalise a verbal phrase.

  • preisgeben
  • teilhaben
  • wundernehmen
  • zuteil werden
  • zumute sein

Words such as schuld or leid are considered to be adjectives when used in conjunction with the verbs sein, werden, or bleiben:

  • zu Mute sein
  • schuld sein

Do not capitalise an adjective that modifies a noun that is implied if the noun has been expressed elsewhere in the same sentence.

  • Hier ist die beste Arbeit, dort die schlechteste

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix is of Scandinavian, German, or Dutch origin, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname is of German or Dutch origin and a value of Person: surname includes a prefix that consists of a contraction of an article and a preposition, record the prefix as the first element.

Greek: Ancient Greek

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • hai–αἱ
  • hē–ἡ
  • ho–ὁ
  • hoi–οἱ
  • ta–τά
  • tain–ταῖν
  • tais–ταῖς
  • tas–τάς
  • tē–τῃ
  • tēn–τήν
  • tēs–τῆς
  • to–τό
  • tō–τῳ
  • τώ
  • toin–τοῖν
  • tois–τοῖς
  • ton–τόν
  • tōn–τῶν
  • tou–τοῦ

tō–τῳ is the dative masculine/neuter singular form; τώ is the nominative/accusative dual form.

Greek: Modern Greek

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
ἀριθμός ἀρ.
μέρος μέρ.
τεῦχος τεῦχ.
τόμος τ.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

Roman transliteration

  • ē
  • ena*
  • enan*
  • enas*
  • enos*
  • hai
  • hē
  • heis*
  • hen*
  • hena*
  • henan*
  • henas*
  • henos*
  • ho
  • hoi
  • mia*
  • mian*
  • mias*
  • o
  • oi
  • ta
  • tē
  • tēs
  • tis
  • to
  • ton
  • tōn
  • tou
  • tous

Monotonic orthography

  • η
  • ένα
  • έναν
  • ένας
  • ενός
  • μια
  • μιαν
  • μιας
  • ο
  • οι
  • τα
  • τη
  • της
  • τις
  • το
  • τον
  • των
  • του
  • τους

Polytonic orthography

  • αἱ
  • ἡ
  • εἷς
  • ἕν
  • ἕνα
  • ἕναν
  • ἕνας
  • ἑνός
  • ὁ
  • οἱ
  • μιά
  • μιάν
  • μιᾶς
  • τά
  • τή
  • τῆς
  • τίς
  • τό
  • τόν
  • τῶν
  • τοῦ
  • τούς

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Hebrew

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
באנד .בד
גליון ’גל

חוברת

 ’חוב
טייל .טל
יארגאנג .יארג
מספר ’מס
נומער .נומ

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ה
  • ha-
  • he-

Capitalisation

Do not capitalise the initial articles ha or he whether written separately or hyphenated with the following word.

Hungarian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
kötet köt.
szám sz.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • a
  • az
  • egy*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

az is not treated as an initial article if used as az az (that) or ez az (this).

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise nouns indicating nationality.

  • az oroszok

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from proper names.

  • budapesti

Do not capitalise the pronoun én.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Maga

Names of persons

Capitalise a direct term of address.

  • Felséges Uram

Do not capitalise terms of rank of nobility including terms of rank that consist of an adjectival term derived from a place of origin, etc.

  • gróf Teleki Pál
  • körmendi Frim Jakab

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Iban

Terms of rank or honour or office

Terms of honour

  • Tuai Serang
  • Tuai Kayau
  • Kepala Manok Sabong
  • Manok Sabong
  • Kepala Pugu Menoa
  • Tuai Menoa
  • Orang Kaya
  • Orang Kaya Panglima
  • Orang Kaya Pemanca
  • Orang Kaya Temenggong
  • Patinggi
  • Temenggong
  • Radin
  • Pateh

Terms of rank of office

  • Penghulu Dalam
  • Pengarah
  • Penghulu
  • Mandal
  • Tuai rumah

Religious terms of rank

  • Kepala Lemambang
  • Saut Lemambang
  • Lemambang
  • Manang Bali
  • Manang Mansau
  • Manang Mengeris

Icelandic

Initial articles

Access points

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • hin
  • hina
  • hinar
  • hinir
  • hinn
  • hinna
  • hinnar
  • hinni
  • hins
  • hinu
  • hinum
  • hið
  • ’r

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Record names in this order:

  1. the first given name
  2. the other given names (if present)
  3. the patronymic
  4. the family name, in direct order

If a phrase naming a place follows any part of the name, treat it as an integral part of the name.

Variant access point for person

Always record variant access points that include:

  • a form using the patronymic as the first element
  • a vorm using the family name as the first element

Indic languages

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Early names

If a person with an Indic name was active before the middle of the nineteenth century, record the first part of the personal name as the first element.

Generally ignore honorifics and religious terms of address that precede the name.

  • Shri (Sri)
  • Swami
  • Acharya
  • Muni
  • Bhikkhu

However, include a title as an integral part of the name if it usually appears with the name in reference sources.

  • Shri (Sri)
  • Swami
  • Sastri
  • Acharya
  • Bhatta
  • Saraswati
  • Muni
  • Gani

Do not include the suffix -ji (or -jee) sometimes added to the personal element of the name.

Modern names

If a person with an Indic name was active after the middle of the nineteeth century, record as the first element the surname or the name that the person is known to have used as a surname. Record the last name as the first element if there is no surname.

Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu names

Given names in these languages are normally preceded by a place name, occasionally preceded by the father’s given name and sometimes followed by a caste name.

If a name in one of these languages does not contain a surname, record the given name as the first element.

If a name is known to have been used by the person as a surname, record the given name as the first element.

Sikh names

If the Sikh name of a person does not use Singh or Kaur as a surname, record the first of the names (the given names) of the person as the first element.

Religious names

If a modern person has a religious vocation (Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain), record the religious name as the first element, followed by a comma and the religious term of rank.

Indonesian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
jilid jil.
nomor no.

Access points

The instructions in this section apply to Indonesian names of Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Indic, Javanese, Malayan, Sumatran, or other origin.

Authorized access point for person

First element

If an Indonesian name consists of two or more parts, record the last part as the first element unless instructed otherwise.

Record the name in direct order unless the first part is a European name.

Record the first part of the name as the first element for the following categories of names:
1.    a name consisting of a given name followed by a part indicating filial relationship (e.g., bin, binti, ibni) and the father’s name
2.    a name that can be written either as one word or as separate words and that begins with one of the following elements; (if the name of a particular person sometimes appears as one word and sometimes as separate words, use the one-word form)

  • Adi
  • Budi (Boedi)
  • Joko (Djoko)
  • Karta
  • Kusuma (Koesoema)
  • Mangku (Mangkoe)
  • Noto
  • Prawira
  • Pura (Poera)
  • Sastra
  • Sri
  • Surya (Soerya, Surja, Suria)
  • Tri

3.    a name containing an initial or abbreviation as the last element.

Names consisting of given name(s) and Adat term of rank

Record as the first element the part of the name introduced by one or more of the following terms.

  • gelar (sometimes abbreviated as gl. or glr.)
  • Daeng, Datuk
  • Sutan

Names containing place names

If a name consists of personal names followed by a place name, record the part preceding the place name as the first element. Treat the place name as an integral part of the name.

Names of Chinese origin

If a name of Chinese origin follows the normal Chinese order (surname first), record the first part of the name as the first element. Record a variant access point that includes a form using the last element of the name as the first element.

Terms of rank

Distinguish words used as terms of rank from the same words adopted by a person as elements of a name. When in doubt, treat the words as a term of rank.

Record a variant access point that includes a form using the title as the first element, followed by the name in direct order (even when the title is not recorded as a title of the person)

Terms of rank in Indonesian

The following list of Indonesian terms of rank and honorific words is incomplete as only some of the more commonly used terms of rank are listed. A few variant spellings are also noted.

  • adipati
  • anak agung (or agoeng) gde
  • anak agung (or agoeng) istri
  • andi
  • aria (arja, arya, arjo, aryo, ardjueh, arjueh)
  • datuk (datoek, dato, datok)
  • desak
  • dewa gde (or gede)
  • gusti aju (gusti ayu, goesti ajoe)
  • gusti gde (goesti gede)
  • hadji (haji)
  • ide (ida)
  • ide aju (ide ayu, ide ajoe)
  • ide bagus (ide bagoes)
  • imam
  • marah
  • mas
  • ngabei (ngabehi, ngabeui)
  • nganten
  • pangeran
  • pedanda
  • raden
  • raden adjeng (or ajeng)
  • raden aju (or ayu)
  • raden aria (or arya)
  • raden mas
  • raden nganten
  • raden pandji (or panji)
  • raden roro
  • radja (raja)
  • ratu (ratoe, ratoh)
  • sidi
  • siti
  • sultan (soeltan)
  • susuhunan (soesoehoenan)
  • sutan (soetan)
  • tengku (tungku, teuku, teungku)
  • tjokorde (cokorde)
  • tjokorde (or cokorde) gde
  • tjokorde (or cokorde) istri
  • tubagus (or toebagoes)
  • tumenggung (toemenggoeng)
  • tunku (toenkoe)

Gelar, meaning “titled,” often precedes an Indonesian term of rank. The following terms of address are not considered to be part of the term of rank:

  • bung (boeng)—brother, when used as a term of respect
  • empu (mpu)—mister
  • engku (ungku)—mister
  • entjik (encik che, entje, inche, the)—mister or mistress
  • ibu (boe, bu, iboe)—mother, when used as a term of respect
  • njonja (yonya)—mistress
  • nona—miss
  • pak (pa’)—father, when used as a term of respect
  • tuan (toean)—mister
  • wan—mister

Variant access point for person

Record a variant access point that includes a form using the last part of the name as the first element.

If the last part is an initial, also record a variant access point that includes a form using the next to the last part of the name as the first element.

Record a variant access point that includes the name in direct order if the authorised access point value begins with gelar, Daeng, Datuk, or Sutan.

Irish

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • an
  • an t-
  • an t
  • na
  • na h-
  • na h

an t and na h are treated as initial articles only in certain situations.

Italian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
numero n.
tomo t.
volume vol.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • gl'
  • gli
  • i
  • il
  • l'
  • la*
  • le*
  • li*
  • lo*
  • un'
  • un*
  • una*
  • uno*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise a name of members of a religious group, sect, religious order, political or other organization, a names of a religion, or a name of a language.

  • i protestanti
  • i benedettini
  • un democratico
  • il buddhismo
  • il francese

Do not capitalise an adjective derived from a name of members of a religious group, sect, religious order, political or other organization, a name of a religion, a name of a language, or a name of a person or a place, or an adjective indicating nationality.

  • la religione cattolica
  • la flora alpina
  • il popolo italiano
  • iconografia dantesca

Capitalise a noun that indicates nationality.

  • gl’Italiani

Do not capitalise the pronoun io.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ella
  • Lei
  • Loro

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person except for a ceremonial title consisting of a possessive pronoun and a noun expressing an abstract quality.

  • signora
  • il signor Donati
  • il duca d’Aosta
  • Umberto I, re d’Italia
  • Sua Santità
  • Sua Altezza Reale il principe Umberto
  • le LL. MM. il re e la regina

Do not capitalise san (santo, etc.) when referring exclusively to a person. Capitalise an abbreviated form.

  • san Francesco d’Assisi
  • S. Girolamo
  • Names of corporate bodies
  • In general, capitalise only the first word, proper nouns, religious terms, and the word following an adjective denoting royal or pontifical privilege in a name of a corporate body.
  • Istituto nazionale di fisica nucleare
  • Accademia nazionale de Santa Cecilia
  • Università cattolica del Sacro Cuore
  • Chiesa evangelica italiana
  • Pontificio Seminario francese

Notable exceptions:

  • Società delle Nazioni
  • Nazioni Unite
  • Croce Rossa

Capitalise Chiesa when it refers to the church as an institution.

Capitalise Stato when it refers to the nation.

  • Consiglio di Stato

Names of places

Do not capitalise via and its synonyms.

  • corso Umberto I
  • via Vittorio Veneto

Do not capitalise chiesa when it indicates a building.

  • la chiesa di S. Maria degli Angeli

Capitalise San (Santo, etc.) when it is an integral part of a name of a place.

  • Castel Sant’Angelo

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Capitalise the proper names of centuries.

  • il Cinquecento
  • il Seicento
  • il sedicesimo secolo

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and is for a modern name, record the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and is for a medieval or early modern name, consult reference sources to determine if a prefix is part of a name. For names of this period, de, de', degli, dei, and de li are rarely part of the surname.

If an Italian term of rank of nobility is used as the first element in a name and the term of rank includes a preposition, do not use the preposition as a prefix in the first element.

Latin

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a Roman is active before, or mostly before, A.D. 476, record as the first element the part of the name under which the person is most commonly listed in reference sources.

If in doubt, record the name in direct order.

Variant access point for person

Record a variant access point that includes a form using a different part of the name as the first element if the name might reasonably be searched by that part.

Malagasy

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ny

Malay

Access points

General guidance

The instructions in this section apply to Malay names of persons living in Malaysia, Singapore, or Brunei, including names of Arabic origin beginning with the element al- .

Also apply the instructions to names from other ethnic groups native to Malaysia such as Ibans, Kedazans, etc.

If names are of persons from an ethnic group of non-Malay origin (e.g. Indian, Chinese) who live in Malaysia, Singapore, or Brunei, apply the instructions for the language of the name.

Filial indicators

Omit the following words or abbreviations that indicate filial relationship, unless consistently used by the person.

  • anak (a., ak, or ak.)–child of
  • bin (b.)–son of
  • binte (bte.)–daughter of
  • binti (bt.)–daughter of
  • ibni–son of (royalty)

If the filial relationship is shown beyond one generation, include only the first unless more are required to distinguish between names that are otherwise identical.

Authorized access point for person

Record as the first element the first part of a Malay name unless it is known that the person treats another part of the name as a surname. In that case, record the surname as the first element.

Variant access point for person

If the first part of the name is recorded as the first element, record a variant access point that includes a form using the last part of the name as the first element.

If the surname is recorded as the first element, record a variant access point that includes a form using the first part of the name as the first element.

Record a variant access point that includes a form using a term of honour, etc. as the first element, followed by the name in direct order.

Maltese

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • il-
  • l-

Neapolitan

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • 'o

Norwegian

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • de
  • dei
  • den
  • det
  • e
  • ei*
  • ein*
  • eit*
  • en*
  • et*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidance

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from proper names.

  • europeisk
  • københavnsk
  • luthersk
  • svensk

Do not capitalise the personal pronoun.

  • jeg

Capitalise the personal pronouns.

  • De
  • Dem
  • Deres
  • Dykk
  • Dykkar


Terms of rank

In general, do not capitalise terms of rank of persons.

  • fru Larsen
  • kong Haakon VII
  • Gustav, prins av Vasa

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise the first word and the word following an adjective indicating royal privilege in the names of corporate bodies. Capitalise other words, such as proper nouns, according to the appropriate guideline.

  • Kungl. Biblioteket
  • Ministeriet for kulturelle anliggender
  • Selskabet for dansk skolehistorie

In general, capitalise only the first word of a compound name, other than a compound personal name.

  • Förenta staterna
  • Kronborg slot
  • Norske kirke

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise the names of days of the week, of months, and of holidays.

  • jul
  • nyår

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix is of Scandinavian, German, or Dutch origin, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname includes the Dutch prefix de, record the prefix as the first element.

Occitan

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • il
  • l'
  • la
  • las
  • le
  • les
  • lh
  • lhi
  • li
  • lis
  • lo*
  • los
  • lou
  • lu
  • un*
  • una*
  • uno*
  • uns
  • us

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Old Provençal

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ih'
  • l'
  • la
  • las
  • le
  • les
  • lh
  • lhi
  • li
  • lis
  • lo*
  • los
  • lou
  • lu
  • un*
  • una*
  • uno*
  • uns
  • us

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Panjabi

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ال
  • al-

Persian

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ال
  • al-

These initial articles are used only in association with Arabic words.

Polish

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
numer nr.
rocznik rocz.

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Do not capitalise a name of residents of a city or town.

  • warszawianin

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • mickiewiczowski

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • katolicyzm
  • katolik
  • mahometanin
  • jezuici

Do not capitalise the pronoun ja.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ty
  • Tobie
  • Twój
  • On
  • Ona
  • Jego
  • Jej
  • Jemu
  • Wy
  • Wam
  • Was

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person except in direct address.

  • papież
  • król
  • święty

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise all words except conjunctions and prepositions in a name of a corporate body.

  • Towarzystwo Naukowe w Toruniu
  • Ewangelicko-Augsburski Kościół

Names of places

Capitalise each part of a compound geographic name. If the distinctive word in a compound name is in the nominative case and can stand alone, capitalise only the distinctive word.

  • Morze Bałtyckie
  • jezioro Narocz

Do not capitalise a geographic name applied to a wine, dance, etc.

  • tokaj
  • krakowiak

Do not capitalise a name of an administrative district or a geographic adjective.

  • województwo poznańskie
  • diecezja łomżyńska

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Do not capitalise a name of a historic event or war.

  • pokój wersalski
  • wojna siedmioletnia

Portuguese

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • a as
  • o*
  • os
  • um*
  • uma*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Do not capitalise derivatives of proper names.

  • os homens alemães
  • os franceses

Capitalise names of positions or posts of dignitaries and titles of persons.

  • Arcebispo de Braga
  • Duque de Caxias
  • Presidente da República
  • Senhor Professor

Do not capitalise the personal pronoun eu.

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise igreja when it refers to the church as an institution.

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

Romanian

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • o*
  • un*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Access points

If a value of Person: surname includes a patronymic with the suffix ade, record that patronymic as the first element.

If the value of Person: surname includes a prefix that is de, record according to the usage of the person.

Russian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
выпуск вып.
год г.
головний гол.
дополненный доп.
заглавие загл.
књига књ.
книга кн.
отделение отд-ние
рік р.
том т.
часть ч.

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Do not capitalise я.

Capitalise pronouns of formal address.

  • Вы
  • Вам
  • Вас

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

  • араб
  • таджик
  • москвичи

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • католицизм
  • католик

Do not capitalise proper nouns that are parts of adverbs.

  • по-пушкински

Names of persons

Do not capitalise prefixes, prepositions, and conjunctions forming part of a proper name, except when they are connected to the following part of the name by a hyphen.

  • фон Клаузевиц
  • ван Бетховен
  • Ван-Гог

Capitalise the terms of rank of the highest government officials.

  • Председатель Совета Народных Комиссаров
  • Маршал Советского Союза

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns in names of corporate bodies.

  • Академия наук СССР
  • Книжная палата
  • Профессиональный союз работников высшей школы и научных учреждений
  • Дом книги

If part of the name of a corporate body is in quotation marks, capitalise only the first word and proper nouns within the quotation marks:

  • завод “Фрезер”
  • совхоз “Путъ к социализму”

If a corporate body is also known by a part of its name, capitalise the first word of the part when it appears in conjunction with the first name:

  • Государственный ордена Ленина академический Большой театр (Большой театр)

Do not capitalise the following words in the names of congresses, conferences, etc.

  • съезд
  • конференция
  • сессия
  • пленум

Do not capitalise совет when used to refer to the council of a society or institution.

Names of places

Capitalisation of names of regions, localities, and geographic features, including streets, parks, etc. in Russian

Do not capitalise a common noun forming part of a geographic name.

  • мыс Горн
  • остров Рудольфа
  • канал Москва-Волга

Capitalise a common noun forming an integral part of a name.

  • Кривой Рог
  • Белая Церковь
  • Богемский Лес

Capitalise the common noun if it is a foreign word that has not become a part of the Russian language.

  • Рю-де-ла-Пе (Рю—meaning street, Пе—meaning peace)
  • Сыр-Дарья (Дарья—meaning river)

Do not capitalise the title or rank of the person in whose honour a place is named.

  • остров королевы Виктории
  • мыс капитана Джеральда

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from geographic names.

  • московские улицы

Do not capitalise geographic names applied to wines, species of animals, birds, etc.

  • мадера
  • херес
  • сенбернар

Capitalisation of names and countries and administrative divisions

Capitalise the first word in the commonly accepted names of groups of countries.

  • Балканские страны

Capitalise unofficial but commonly accepted names of countries, cities, and territorial divisions.

  • Советский Союз
  • Страна Советов
  • Приуралье
  • Белокаменная (for Moscow)

Capitalise administrative divisions of the USSR as follows:

  • Capitalise every word in the names of republics and autonomous republics.
    • Башкирская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика
  • Capitalise only the first word in the names of provinces, autonomous provinces, territories, regions, and village soviets.
    • Алма-Атинская область
    • Приморский край
    • Коми-Пермяцкий национальный округ
    • Егоршинский район
    • Краснинский сельсовет
  • Capitalise every word in the names of the highest Soviet and non-Russian governmental units and Communist Party organizations except those in parentheses and партия: Верховный Совет СССР (also of the Union republics and autonomous republics).
    • Совет Союза
    • Совет Национальностей
    • Всесоюзная Коммунистическая партия (большевиков)
    • Рейхстаг
    • Конгресс США
    • Правительствующий Сенат
  • Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns in the names of other governmental units.
    • Государственная плановая комиссия СССР
    • Народный комиссариат иностранных дел
    • Военный совет Закавказского военного округа
  • Do not capitalise the names of bureaus when used in the plural and when used in a general sense.
    • советы народных комиссаров
    • народный комиссариат
  • Capitalise Совет in Совет депутатов трудящихся : Загорский районный Совет депутатов трудящихся.

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise the names of days of the week and of months.

Capitalise the first word, the distinctive word, and proper nouns in the names of historic periods and events.

  • Великая Октябрьская социалистическая революция
  • Возрождение
  • Третъя республика
  • Парижская коммуна
  • Кровавое воскресенье
  • Ленский расстрел
  • Бородинский бой

Do not capitalise the names of the five-year plans.

  • третья сталинская пятилетка; but соревнование имени Третьей Сталинской Пятилетки

Do not capitalise война in the names of wars.

  • Франко-Прусская война
  • Русско-Японская война
  • Великая Отечественная война
  • Отечественная война

Scottish

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • a
  • an
  • ane

Scottish Gaelic

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • a'
  • am
  • an
  • an t-
  • na
  • na h-

Scottish: Shetland dialect

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • da

Serbian

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Apply the following guidance for capitalising words and phrases in a specific language.

  • belac
  • crnac
  • semit

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • srpski

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • pravoslavstvo
  • pravoslavac

Do not capitalise the pronoun ja.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ti
  • Tvoj
  • Vi
  • Vam
  • Vas
  • Vaš

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person.

  • car Dušan
  • kralj Milutin
  • ministar
  • sveti Petar

Names of corporate bodies

Apply the following guidance for capitalising words and phrases in a specific language.

  • Matica srpska
  • Vojvođanska banka
  • Beogradsko dramsko pozorište
  • Narodna biblioteka Srbije
  • Muzej Nikole Tesle

Names of places

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a place.

  • Velika Morava
  • Beogradska ulica
  • Trg Nikole Tesle
  • Fruška gora

Do not capitalise a name of an administrative division of a country.

  • Sremski okrug
  • Grad Beograd
  • Grad Niš
  • Zapadno-bački okrug

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a historic period and event.

  • Kameno doba
  • Boj na Kosovu
  • Prvi srpski ustanak
  • Kolubarska bitka
  • Bitka na Ivankovcu

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a holiday.

  • Sveti Sava
  • Veliki četvrtak

Slovak

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
ročník roč.
zväzok zv.

Capitalisation

Do not capitalise the pronoun já.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Ty
  • Tvůj
  • Tobě
  • Vy
  • Vám
  • Vás
  • Váš

Access points

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank, honour, office, or address that is not associated with a name of a person.

  • doktor
  • král
  • ministr
  • svatý

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise only the first word in a name of a corporate body.

  • Československá republika
  • Česká akademie věd a umění
  • Bratří čeští
  • Milosrdní bratří

Do not capitalise a name of a branch of a school, conservatory, university, ministry, or department of government.

  • ministerstvo školství
  • závodní rada

Names of places

If a name of a place consists of a distinctive word and a generic word, capitalise only the distinctive word (e.g. Tichý oceán)

For the names of streets, capitalise the first word and any other word that is a derivative of a proper name.

  • U invalidovny
  • Na Smetance

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Slovenian

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
knjiga knj.
številka št.
zvezek zv.

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

  • arijec
  • semit
  • črnec

Capitalise only the distinctive words in a name of a nationality.

  • severni Korejec
  • zahodni Nemec

Do not capitalise a proper adjective.

  • slovenski jezik

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

  • katolicizem
  • katoličan

Do not capitalise the pronoun jaz.

Names of persons

Do not capitalise a term of rank of a person.

  • predsednik
  • sekretar
  • doktor
  • maršal Tito
  • kralj Matjaž
  • sveti Peter

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of a corporate body.

  • Društvo slovenskih književnikov
  • Državna založba Slovenije

Names of places

Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns in a name of a region, etc.

  • Ziljska dolina
  • Novo mesto
  • Škofja Loka
  • Daljni vzhod
  • Otok kraljice Viktorije
  • Rtič dobrega upanja
  • Ulica stare pravde

Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only in a name of an administrative division of a country.

  • Federativna socialistična republika Jugoslavija
  • Združene države Amerike

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Do not capitalise the name of a historic period or event.

  • ledena doba
  • renesansa
  • francoska revolucija
  • boj na Mišaru
  • prva srbska vstaja
  • božič
  • velika noč
  • sveti Peter

Spanish

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
número no.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • el
  • la
  • las
  • lo*
  • los
  • un*
  • una*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Do not capitalise a derivative of a proper name.

  • las mujeres colombianas

Do not capitalise an adjective that is used substantively.

  • los franceses

Do not capitalise the pronoun yo.

Capitalise a pronoun of formal address.

  • Vd.
  • Vds.
  • Ud.
  • Uds.

In general, do not capitalise the first word of a question occurring within a sentence.

  • Cuando viene la noche ¿cómo se puede ver?

Names of persons

Capitalise a title of honour and address only when it is in abbreviated form.

  • señor; Sr.
  • doctor; Dr.
  • general; Gral

Capitalise Su Excelencia, Su Majestad, etc., when used alone, whether written out or abbreviated. Do not capitalise these words when they are used with a name or another title.

  • su majestad Juan Carlos
  • su majestad el Rey

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise Iglesia when it refers to the church as an institution.

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise a name of a day of the week or a name of a month.

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix consists of an article only, record the article as the first element.

Swedish

Abbreviations

Term Abbreviation
nummer nr.

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • de
  • den
  • det
  • en*
  • et*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from proper names.

  • europeisk
  • københavnsk
  • luthersk
  • svensk

Do not capitalise the personal pronoun

  • jag

Capitalise these personal pronouns in correspondence.

  • Ni
  • Eder
  • Er

Terms of rank

In general, do not capitalise terms of rank of persons.

  • fru Larsen
  • kong Haakon VII
  • Gustav, prins av Vasa

Names of corporate bodies

In general, capitalise the first word and the word following an adjective indicating royal privilege in the names of corporate bodies. Capitalise other words, such as proper nouns, according to the appropriate guideline.

  • Kungl. Biblioteket
  • Ministeriet for kulturelle anliggender
  • Selskabet for dansk skolehistorie

In general, capitalise only the first word of a compound name, other than a compound personal name.

  • Förenta staterna
  • Kronborg slot
  • Norske kirke

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise the names of days of the week, of months, and of holidays.

  • jul
  • nyår

Access points

Authorized access point for person

If a value of Person: surname includes an initial article or preposition and a prefix is of Scandinavian, German, or Dutch origin, record the part following the prefix as the first element.

If a value of Person: surname is the Dutch de, record the prefix as the first element.

Tagalog

Initial articles

  • ang
  • ang mga
  • ang mg͠a
  • mga
  • mg͠a

mga or mg͠a may be spelled as manga or ma͠a.

Thai

Access points

Authorized access point for person

Record the first part of a Thai name as the first element.

Omit a term of address unless it is a term of rank of nobility. In case of doubt, include it.

  • Khun
  • Nāi
  • Nāng
  • Nāngsāo

Royalty
If the name is of a person of royal descent, record as a first element the first part of the name, or latest name, that he or she uses.

Record Prince or Princess for those of the ranks Čhaofā and Phraʿong Čhao.

Record M.C., M.R., and M.L. for Mō̜m Čhao, Mō̜m Rātchawong, and Mō̜m Lūūang, respectively.

If the person also has a krom rank, do not add it.

Nobility (Khunnāng)

If a name contains a term of rank of nobility, record that term of rank in the vernacular (rātchathinanām) as the first element. If a person has two or more terms of rank, use the latest. Add the given name, when ascertainable, in parentheses. Add the vernacular rank (yot bandāsak) associated with the term of rank.

Buddhist monastics, ecclesiastics, and supreme patriarchs

Monastics

If the name is that of a Buddhist monastic, record the Pali name in religion as the first element. Follow a Pali name in religion by a comma and Phikkhu. Record the given name as the first element followed by a command the rank (samanasak), Phra Mahā, or Phra Khrū if the monastic is better known by the given name.

Ecclesiastics

If the name is that of a Buddhist ecclesiastic, record the latest term of rank as the first element. Record the given name in parentheses following the term of rank. Also record any word indicating rank.

Supreme patriarchs

If the name is that of a supreme patriarch who is a commoner, record the given name as the first element. Follow the given name by a comma and Supreme Patriarch.

If the name is that of a supreme patriarch of royal descent, record the conferred name as the the first element. Follow the conferred name by a comma and the secular and ecclesiastical terms of rank in that order.

Variant access point for person

Record a variant access point that includes a form using the last part of the name (normally a surname) as the first element. Surnames became a legal requirement for most persons in 1915.

Record variant access points that include any earlier names of the person, including associated ranks and terms of rank.

For a Buddhist monastic, if the given name is recorded as the first element, record a variant access point that includes a form using the Pali name in religion as the first element.

For a Buddhist ecclesiastic, record variant access points that include forms using the distinctive word in the title, the given name, and the surname as the first element.

For a supreme patriarch who is a commoner, record variant access points that include forms using the surname as the first element. Also record variant access points that include any earlier names or terms of rank by which the person is identified.

For a supreme patriarch of royal descent, record variant access points that include any earlier names or terms of rank by which the person is identified.

Turkish

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • al-

Ukrainian

Capitalisation

General guidelines

Capitalise pronouns of formal address.

Do not capitalise a name of an ethnic group or a member of an ethnic group.

Do not capitalise a name of a religion or a member of a religious group.

Do not capitalise proper nouns that are parts of adverbs.

Names of persons

Do not capitalise prefixes, prepositions, and conjunctions forming part of a proper name, except when they are connected to the following part of the name by a hyphen.

Term of rank

Capitalise the terms of rank of the highest government officials.

Names of corporate bodies

Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns in names of corporate bodies.

If part of the name of a corporate body is in quotation marks, capitalise only the first word and proper nouns within the quotation marks.

If a corporate body is also known by a part of its name, capitalise the first word of the part when it appears in conjunction with the full name.

Names of places

Do not capitalise a common noun forming part of a geographic name.

Capitalise a common noun forming an integral part of a name.

Capitalise the common noun if it is a foreign word that has not become a part of the Ukrainian language.

Do not capitalise the title or rank of the person in whose honour a place is named.

Do not capitalise adjectives derived from geographic names.

Do not capitalise geographic names applied to wines, species of animals, birds, etc.

Capitalise the first word in the commonly accepted names of groups of countries.

Capitalise unofficial but commonly accepted names of countries, cities, and territorial divisions.

Names of timespans

Do not capitalise the names of days of the week and of months.

Capitalise the first word, the distinctive word, and proper nouns in the names of historic periods and events.

Urdu

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ال
  • al-

These initial articles are used only in association with Arabic words.

Walloon

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • des
  • ein*
  • enne
  • l'
  • les
  • li

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.

Welsh

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • y
  • yr

Western Frisian

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • de
  • 'e
  • in
  • it
  • 'n
  • 't

Western Panjabi

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

  • ال
  • al-

These initial articles are used only in association with Arabic words.

Yiddish

Initial articles

Treat the following words and prefixes as initial articles:

 

  • א
  • אן
  • דעם
  • דער
  • די
  • דיא
  • , דאס
  • איין
  • איינע

 

  • a
  • an
  • dem
  • der
  • di
  • die
  • dos
  • eyn*
  • eyne*

An asterisk (*) indicates that the same form may be used in other contexts so that care should be taken to determine the meaning before treating the word as an initial article.