{"id":2030,"date":"2024-02-12T17:41:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-12T17:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/?p=2030"},"modified":"2024-02-12T17:41:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T17:41:00","slug":"mla-capitalization-in-foreign-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/learn\/mla\/mla-capitalization-in-foreign-languages\/","title":{"rendered":"MLA Capitalization in Foreign Languages"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to citing works in foreign languages, understanding the rules of capitalization is crucial for maintaining accuracy and consistency. Different languages have unique conventions that dictate which words should be capitalized in titles and subtitles. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the rules for some major European languages:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>FRENCH<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In French, capitalization largely mirrors English conventions. However, there are notable exceptions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Capitalize the first word of a title or subtitle, along with any other words that would typically be capitalized in English, such as names and place names.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>EXCEPTIONS<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The subject pronoun &#8220;je&#8221; (equivalent to &#8220;I&#8221;) is not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Days of the week and months are not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Titles preceding personal names are not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>EXAMPLES IN FRENCH<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">La chambre claire: Note sur la photographie.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du c\u00f4t\u00e9 de chez Swann.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">La guerre de Troie n\u2019aura pas lieu.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>GERMAN<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">German capitalization rules are distinct, emphasizing the capitalization of all nouns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Capitalize All Nouns:<\/strong> This includes adjectives, pronouns, and other parts of speech when they function as nouns. The pronouns &#8220;Sie&#8221; and &#8220;Ihr&#8221; are also capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Capitalize First Word:<\/strong> Similar to French, capitalize the first word of a title or subtitle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>EXAMPLES IN GERMAN<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lethe: Kunst und Kritik des Vergessens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ein treuer Diener seines Herrn.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zeitschrift f\u00fcr vergleichende Sprachforschung.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 83.168465%; height: 309px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 290px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 26.223661%; height: 231px;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1449\" src=\"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/4.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 56.465673%; height: 231px;\">\n<p><strong>Discern Stylistic Variations:<\/strong> Recognize subtle stylistic differences in capitalization across regions or periods within the same language. For instance, German capitalization can vary between standard Hochdeutsch and Swiss German dialects. Understanding these nuances ensures accurate MLA formatting and reflects a nuanced understanding of linguistic diversity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Verify Capitalization in Original Sources:<\/strong> When citing works in foreign languages, always verify capitalization rules in the original source material. Authors may adhere to specific stylistic preferences or conventions that differ from general language rules. Directly referencing original texts ensures accuracy and maintains fidelity to the author&#8217;s intended formatting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Adapt MLA Guidelines for Consistency:<\/strong> While MLA offers guidelines for English-language citations, adapt these principles to maintain consistency when citing foreign-language sources. For instance, ensure that the first word of titles and subtitles is capitalized, and follow language-specific rules for proper nouns and pronouns. Consistency in capitalization enhances readability and professionalism in your citations.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>ITALIAN<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Italian capitalization rules closely mirror those of English, albeit with some noteworthy exceptions. Like in French and German, capitalize the first word of a title or subtitle, along with any other words that would typically be capitalized in English.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>EXCEPTIONS<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The subject pronoun &#8220;io&#8221; (equivalent to &#8220;I&#8221;) is not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Days of the week, months, languages, and nationalities are not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Titles preceding proper names are not capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>EXAMPLES IN ITALIAN<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">L\u2019arte tipografica in Urbino.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bibliografia della critica pirandelliana.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Luigi Pulci e la Chimera: Studi sull\u2019allegoria nel Morgante.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>LATIN<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Latin capitalization rules closely resemble those of English, with a few notable exceptions.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Capitalize only the first word of a title, along with any other words that would typically be capitalized in English, such as names.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subject pronoun &#8220;ego&#8221; (equivalent to &#8220;I&#8221;) is not capitalized.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>EXAMPLES IN LATIN<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ars amatoria.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">De rerum natura.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pro Marcello.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding and applying these capitalization rules correctly is essential for accurately citing works in foreign languages. By adhering to these guidelines, students can ensure clarity and consistency in their academic and professional endeavors.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"premium_box text-center\">\r\n  <h3>GIVE YOUR CITATIONS A BOOST TODAY<\/h3>\r\n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start your TypeCite Boost 3 day free trial today. Then just $4.99 per month to save your citations, organize in projects, and much more.<\/span><\/p>  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/signup\/\" class=\"btn\">SIGN UP<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to citing works in foreign languages, understanding the rules of capitalization is crucial for maintaining accuracy and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn","category-mla"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>MLA Capitalization in Foreign Languages - TypeCite<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.typecite.com\/learn\/mla\/mla-capitalization-in-foreign-languages\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MLA Capitalization in Foreign Languages - 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