Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada
Symbole du gouvernement du Canada

Liens institutionnels

 

Avis important

L’outil The Canadian Style a été archivé et ne sera plus mis à jour jusqu’à son retrait définitif.

Pour obtenir notre contenu le plus à jour, veuillez consulter Writing Tips Plus, un outil combinant le contenu des outils Writing Tips et The Canadian Style. N’oubliez pas de modifier vos favoris!

Rechercher dans Canada.ca

4.11 Races, languages and peoples

Capitalize nouns and adjectives referring to race, tribe, nationality and language:

  • Amerindian
  • Anglophone
  • Arabic
  • Caucasian
  • Cree
  • Francophone
  • French
  • Indian
  • Inuk (plural: Inuit)
  • Métis

Do not capitalize the word allophone, which refers to a person whose first language is neither English nor French and which is used with specific reference to Quebec.

The form of some words may vary depending on the meaning:

  • Highlander (inhabitant of the Scottish Highlands)
    • highlander (inhabitant of any highland area)
  • Aborigine (one of the indigenous peoples of Australia)
    • aborigine (indigenous inhabitant of a region)
  • Pygmy (member of a group of African peoples)
    • pygmy (small in stature; insignificant)

Capitalize the singular and plural forms of the nouns Status Indian, Registered Indian, Non-Status Indian and Treaty Indian, as well as the adjectives Indigenous and Aboriginal, when they refer to Indigenous people in Canada.

Note the differences in meaning of the following noun phrases:

  • Indigenous person (one individual)
    • Example: Any Indigenous person in Alberta is eligible under this program.
  • Indigenous persons, Indigenous people (more than one person)
    • Example: The conference could not have succeeded without the help of almost a thousand Indigenous people from all over Saskatchewan.
  • Indigenous peoples (two or more Indigenous groups)
    • Example: Representatives from three Indigenous peoples were present.

For further information on the representation of Indigenous peoples in written communications, see Chapter 14 Elimination of Stereotyping in Written Communications.

4.12 School subjects, courses and degrees

In keeping with 4.11 Races, languages and peoples above, capitalize the names of languages. Do not capitalize the names of other disciplines when used in a general sense. Capitalize them when used to refer to school subjects or the names of particular courses:

  • This university requires French as a prerequisite.
  • She is interested in history.
  • He reads articles on economics and biology in his spare time.

but

  • He passed with a "B" in History this term.
  • She is taking Chemistry 101 and Economics 406.

Do not capitalize the name of a degree in informal references, but do capitalize it when it is written in full:

  • Janet is earning her master’s degree.
  • Ellen Compton, Doctor of Philosophy
  • He holds a Master of Arts degree from McGill University.

Do not capitalize terms designating academic years:

  • She held two jobs during her senior year.

Capitalize grade when followed by a number or letter:

  • My daughter has completed Grade 6.