9.50 Homonyms

Adopt the following order of entry for homonyms—person or organization (forenames precede surnames); place (cities and towns precede administrative areas, which precede physical features); subject; title of publication:

• Hull, Robert (hockey player)
• Hull (Quebec)
• Hull, population of
• Hull, A Short History of

Within a list of personal names an alphabetical (John, Pope; John, Saint), hierarchical (John, Saint; John, Pope) or chronological/numerical (John XXII; John XXIII) arrangement is possible. The usual hierarchical order is saints, popes, emperors and empresses, kings and queens, surnames:

• John, Pope
• John, Augustus

Include modifiers in parentheses after each common noun in order to distinguish it from its homonyms:

• Character (literature)
• Character (psychology)

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