Capitalization: Proper Nouns And Words Derived From Them

A proper noun applies to the name of a specific person, place or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized, no matter where they are in the sentence.

Matthew is going to Toronto to study at York University.

Finding himself with a free afternoon, Mr. Thomas decided to go to the Smithsonian for a few hours.

The Mona Lisa is at the Louvre in Paris, France.

Some non-English names do not begin with capitals; frequently, surnames have two parts, and the first (smaller) word is the one which doesn’t require a capital. As these are not English words, it’s appropriate to retain the capitalization rules of the original language.

Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh are two famous painters.

As is common with Spanish names, Isla de San Andres doesn’t have a capital at the beginning of each word.

Derivatives of proper nouns (adjectives, verbs, etc.) are also capitalized. For instance, Germany is a proper noun (it’s the name of a specific country) and is therefore capitalized; derivatives such as German and Germanic are also capitalized.

People in Paris speak Parisian French; people from other parts of France speak slightly different forms of French.