Unraveling the Mystery of Capitalizing French Titles

First of all, you wouldnt put lumià ¨re (light) in all caps, as we did in the subhead above, just to make a point. There are, indeed, rules to follow, and you shouldnt capitalize French titles willy-nilly. English speakers should understand that the capitalization of titles and names in French and English exhibit several differences, all of which involve words that are capitalized in English but not in French. This means there is, by and large, less capitalization in French than there is in English.   In English, the first word of a proper title and all subsequent words, except short articles, conjunctions and prepositions, are capitalized. The rules are more complicated in French, and the table below examines three schools of thought regarding French capitalization of titles and names*.   Standard Capitalization In French, capitalization depends on the position and the grammatical function of the words in the title. The first word is always capitalized. If the first word is an article or other  determiner, the first noun and any adjectives that precede it are capitalized, like this: Trois Contes Un Cur simple Le Petit Robert Le Nouveau Petit Robert Le Bon Usage Le Progrs de la civilisation au XXe sicle If the title consists of two words or phrases of equal value, they are considered co-titles and each one is capitalized according to the above rules, as in: Guerre et Paix Julie ou La Nouvelle Hà ©loà ¯se This system  is used in Le Petit Robert, Le Quid, and throughout the Dictionnaire de citations franà §aises. Le Bon Usage, considered the bible of French grammar,  briefly discusses an inconsistency in the capitalization of titles. It does not mention the system above, but it does list the systems in 2. and 3. below. Important-Noun  Capitalization In this system, the first word and any important nouns are capitalized, like this: Trois Contes Un Cur simple Le petit Robert Le nouveau petit Robert Le bon Usage Le Progrs de la Civilisation au XXe sicle Le Bon Usage  states that system 2. is more common than 3. and uses it in its own bibliography. Sentence Capitalization In this system, only the first word of the title is capitalized (except proper nouns, which are always capitalized). Trois contes Un cur simple Le petit Robert Le nouveau petit Robert Le bon usage Le progrs de la civilisation au XXe sicle A number of websites use this system, crediting it either to the MLA Handbook  or to normes ISO  (norms of the International Organization for Standardization).  It is difficult to find any official online documentation for either of these sources. If you look at the spines of a few dozen French books, you will see capitalization is split about 50-50 between Important Noun Capitalization and Sentence Capitalization.   In the end, what will probably work best is to  decide which system works best for you, and stick with it consistently.   Proper nouns, as we mentioned above, are not affected by these capitalization systems; they always follow their own rules of capitalization. *Capitalization of Surnames French surnames (family names)  are often capitalized in their entirety, especially in bibliographies and administrative documents, like this: Gustave FLAUBERT Camara LAYE Jean de LA FONTAINE Antoine de SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Speech Valedictory Speech Essay - 936 Words

Valedictory Speech As we stand here today celebrating we are all united by a common thread. What could you or I possibly have in common with Mr MacMaster or Mrs Symes? We are all unique individuals! How appropriate that our College Mission Statement start with: â€Å"to celebrate the uniqueness of each individual.† My schooling at St Andrew started 13 years ago, as a Prep student. We were all a little ‘green’, similar to fragile seedlings of a fruit tree. This was our beginnings of formal education, where we absorbed a stimulus of creative learning. We were all little seedlings the same species but we were intrinsically different. Here we were matured, guided by not only our teachers but by the college as a whole. Gradually we grew into our uniforms and backpacks that once resembled a snails shell. Moving through junior school, we were juvenile but curious about the world around us and a need to understand it. Middle School continued to cultivate behaviours that strengthen our roots and branches. Here we soared to new heights with the introduction of subject selection and timetables, along with puberty. Just when we thought we held a secret weapon, they taught us about the evils of plagiarism. This is probably when most of our cohort experimented with ideas. Some with n ot the best outcomes and Mr Chris was forever pruning our egos and hormone levels to an acceptable level. But mistakes are blessing, right? We can learn from our mistakes by exploring otherShow MoreRelatedValedictory Speech1578 Words   |  7 PagesValedictory Speech Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work  to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be  written the history of this generation. Yes, ours would be a generation to remember, also to cherish. A very happy morning to one and all present here. 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African Music and Culture Creative Exploration Free Essays

African music is developed largely by the civilizations in sub-Saharan Africa. Their traditions give emphasis to singing. This is because songs are used as means of communication. We will write a custom essay sample on African Music and Culture Creative Exploration or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many languages in Africa are â€Å"tone languages†.   Pitch level identifies meanings. Meanwhile, melodies and tempo of their songs go after the intonation and rhythms of the text of the songs. In general, African songs are in form of call-and-response, as if they are really talking. This shows the relationship between the music and linguistic in sub-Saharan Africa. (Genesis 1996-2006) One major effect of the Arab conquest in North Africa is in religious aspect. Islam proliferated immediately in that part of the continent. They were calling Muhammed, along with their god’s name Allah, five times in a day from thousands of towers near the mosque, which are called minarets. These minarets were spread in North Africa, South-Western Europe, and Western and Central Asia. But in other parts of Africa, Islamization was quite a slow process. (Doi 1998) Africa is the birthplace of our habit of making music. The continent can be divided in five regions musically. North Africa has musical connection with the Arab and Islamic world. European colonization influenced music in West Africa. This region is known for classical and court music in sub-Saharan Africa. With their traditions, they preserved splendid musical heritage. (Africa 1996-2006) In Madagascar, generally, more metrical songs can be found on the coastline. Songs that are more soothing and slower are from the interior part of the place. In linguistics, it is quite mysterious. Their spoken language, Malagasy, is widely used in the country despite of the island’s large size and cultural diversity. In additional, Malagasy originated in Indonesia.   (WildMadagascar.org 2004-2006) After the resettlement of former African slaves, they got educational and job opportunities in urban areas. They engaged in cultural and scholarly activities. They had published some newspapers and journals. They excelled in this field later. Examples of these successful Africans are Paul Laurence Dunbar, a poet-novelist, and Claude McKay, a black poet and novelist who first attracted a large number of white audience. (AFRICANS-AMERICANS 2006) REFERENCES: Africa 2006. National Geographic Society 1996-2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/region/content.region/africa_1 AFRICANS-AMERICANS 2006. The History Channel website 2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=200351. Doi, Prof. A. Rahman I. 2006. Islam and Africa. Dr. A. Zahoor 1998 [cited September 8 2006]. Available from http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/islafrica.htm Genesis, African. 2006. African People Culture africaguide.com 1996-2006 [cited September 8 2006]. Available from http://www.africaguide.com/culture/music.htm. WildMadagascar.org. 2006. Malagasy, the language of Madagascar Rhett Butler 2004-2006 [cited September 9 2006]. Available from http://www.wildmadagascar.org/people/malagasy.html    How to cite African Music and Culture Creative Exploration, Papers