Editing Capitalization (section)

===Compound names===
[[Compound (linguistics)|Compound names]] are [[nouns]] that are made up of more than one [[Word stem|stem]], or a stem and one or more [[affix]]es.{{efn|Example: the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] name [[Kees Verkerk|''Verkerk'']], which is made up of the [[prefix]] ''Ver-'' and the noun ''kerk'' (church). }}
Names that are made up of several affixes and one or more nouns are ''not'' compound names under this definition, but [[noun phrase]]s, that are made up of one or more [[wiktionary:separable affix|separable affixes]], and one or more nouns. Examples of the separable affixes may be found in [[List of family name affixes]].{{efn|Example: the Dutch name ''Van der Kerk'' is made up of the prefix ''van'' (which at the same time is a [[preposition]]); the article ''der'' (which is a [[declension]] of the [[definite article]] ''de''); and the noun ''Kerk''. The prefix ''Ver-'' is a [[contraction (grammar)|contraction]] of the separable affixes, that has "bonded" with the noun. However, the surname [[Quirijn Maurits Rudolph Ver Huell|Ver Huell]] is an example of a case where the prefix ''Ver'' has not yet become part of the name.}} Noun phrases are in this context treated as if they were nouns. So the general rule that nouns-as-names are capitalized in principle applies to compound names and noun-phrases-as-names as well. There are, however, ''exceptions'' to this rule that differ by language community.
* In [[German language|German]], the separable affix, and at the same time preposition, {{lang|de|[[von]]}} (meaning "of", pronounced {{IPA|de|fɔn|}}) or {{lang|de|[[wikt:genannt|genannt]]}} (meaning "named") in a surname (e.g. {{lang|de|[[Alexander von Humboldt]]}}) is not capitalized (unless it is the first letter of a sentence). ''Von'' is however often dropped  within a sentence. The same applies to similar [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] affixes.{{efn|Examples: [[Alexander von Humboldt]], von Humboldt. Humboldt (German); [[Giovanni da Verrazzano]], da Verrazzano, Verrazzano (Italian); [[Vasco da Gama]], da Gama, Gama (Portuguese)}}<ref name=CMOS314>{{cite book|title=[[Chicago Manual of Style]]|publisher=U. of Chicago Press|edition=15th|year=2003|page=314}}</ref>
* In Dutch, the ''first'' affix, like {{lang|nl|[[van (Dutch)|van]]}}; or {{lang|nl|de}}, or declensions of ''de''; or [[contraction (grammar)|contractions]] of a preposition and an article, like ''ter''; in a surname are capitalized unless a given name, initial, or other family name.{{efn|as in the [[Maiden and married names|married names of women]]}} precedes it{{efn|Examples: [[Cornelis de Witt]], [[Johan de Witt|J. de Witt]], Maria de Witt-van Berckel. But: the brothers De Witt. However, in [[Alexander Willem Maurits Carel Ver Huell]] ''Ver'', though a separate affix, is not written with a lowercase letter, as ''Ver'' is not a preposition or a definite article as the exception requires.}} Other affixes in the noun phrase (if present) are left lowercase.{{efn|Examples: Van der Duyn van Maasdam; Van Nispen tot Pannerden.}} However, in [[Belgium]] the capitalization of a surname follows the orthography as used for the person's name in the Belgian population register and on his or her identification card., except when introducing a title of [[nobility]] or when use of the lower case has been granted to some noble family.<ref name=Taalunie1>{{cite web|url=https://woordenlijst.org/leidraad/16/2|title=Persoonsnamen|language=nl|website=Woordenlijst.org|publisher=[[Dutch Language Union|Nederlandse Taalunie]]|access-date=14 March 2023}}</ref> An exception for the rule that a Dutch name starts with an uppercase letter under all circumstances (including at the start of a sentence) is included in the general capitalization rule: "If the sentence begins with an apostrophe, the following full word is capitalized."{{efn|Example: {{lang|nl|k Heb er niets meer van gehoord.}}}} This also applies to Dutch names that begin with a contraction that consists of an apostrophe and a letter.{{efn|Examples: names like [[Pieter 't Hoen|'t Hoen]] and [[Willem 's Gravesande|'sGravesande]].}}<ref name=Taalunie2>{{cite web|url=https://woordenlijst.org/leidraad/16/9|title=Capital letter at the beginning of a sentence|publisher=[[Dutch Language Union|Nederlandse Taalunie]]|website=Woordenlijst.org|language=nl|access-date=14 March 2023}}</ref>
* In English, practice varies when the name starts with a [[grammatical particle|particle]]{{efn|An alternate technical term that overlaps with separable affix.}} with a meaning such as "from" or "the" or "son of".
**Some of these particles (''Mac'', ''Mc'', ''M'', ''O'') are always capitalized; others ({{lang|fr|L'}}, {{lang|nl|Van}}) are usually capitalized; still others often are not ({{lang|fr|d'}}, {{lang|fr|de}}, {{lang|it|di}}, {{lang|de|von}}). The compound particle {{lang|fr|de La}} is usually written with the ''L'' capitalized but not the ''d''.<ref name="OMS">''Oxford Manual of Style'', R. M. Ritter ed., Oxford University Press, 2002</ref>{{efn|Actually, this follows the French usage for the so-called [[Nobiliary particle#France|Nobiliary particle]], Cf. also<ref name=CMOS314 />}}
** The remaining part of such a name, following the particle, is always capitalized if it is set off with a space as a separate word, or if the particle was not capitalized. It is normally capitalized if the particle is ''Mc'', ''M'', or ''O''. In other cases (including ''Mac''), there is no set rule (both ''Macintyre'' and ''MacIntyre'' are seen, for example).{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
* Americans with non-Anglophone surnames often have not followed the orthographic conventions usual in the language communities of their extraction (or the US immigration authorities flouted the orthographic rules for them when they arrived at ports of entry like [[Ellis Island]]).{{efn|Examples: [[Martin Van Buren]], not Martin van Buren; [[Ron DeSantis]], not Ron De Santis; [[Leonardo DiCaprio]], not Leonardo di Caprio; [[Boom Town (film)|Karen Vanmeer]] not Karen Van Meer (fictional character played by [[Hedy Lamarr]], who should have spelled her pseudonym "La Marr", like her model [[Barbara La Marr]]).}} As there are no universally accepted capitalization rules in these circumstances to serve as a guideline the best policy would seem to be to use the style that dominates for that person in reliable sources; for a [[Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons|living subject]], prefer the spelling consistently [[WP:ABOUTSELF|used in the subject's own publications]].<ref name=CMOS313>{{cite book|title=[[Chicago Manual of Style]]|publisher=U. of Chicago Press|edition=15th|year=2003|page=313}}</ref>