View source for Wikipedia:Manual of Style/France- and French-related articles

{{MoS guideline|WP:MOSFR|MOS:FR|MOS:FRANCE}}

The purpose of this supplementary manual is to create '''guidelines for editing articles in the English-language Wikipedia which relate to [[France]] or the [[French language]]''' to conform to a neutral encyclopedic style and to make things easy to read by following a consistent format. The following rules do not claim to be the last word. One way is often as good as another, but if everyone does it the same way, Wikipedia will be easier to read and use, not to mention easier to write and edit. This manual is open to all proposals, discussion, and editing.

There is considerable disagreement between the editors of articles related to France or French about which sources are reliable. The important thing to remember is that all sources and articles must conform to Wikipedia policies such as [[WP:NOR|No original research]], [[WP:V|Verifiability]] and [[WP:NPOV|Neutral point of view]].

{{style}}

== General rules ==
The most general rule of the Wikipedia is that editors should '''use the most common form of the name or expression used in English''' ([[WP:ENGLISH]]).  There are however many cases in which this rule is difficult to put into practice.  When giving a parenthetical French expression after an English word, editors may use {{code|<nowiki>{{lang-fr|word}}</nowiki>}} where "word" is the French word.  Example: National Assembly ({{lang-fr|Assemblée nationale}}).

If required in running text, French words or phrases should use {{code|<nowiki>{{tl|lang}}</nowiki>}}, thus: {{code|<nowiki>{{lang|fr|Assemblée nationale}}</nowiki>}}, which renders as {{lang|fr|Assemblée nationale}}. This automatically produces italic rendering in accordance with [[MOS:FOREIGNITALIC]].

== Orthography ==
{{also|French orthography}}

=== Accents and ligatures ===
{{shortcut|WP:FRENCHNAMES}}
French proper names and expressions should respect the use of accents and ligatures in French. These are:
{| class="wikitable" width="42%" style="text-align:center;"
! width="6%"|Accent                 !! width="6%"|[[a]] !!width="6%"| [[e]] !! width="6%"|[[i]] !! width="6%"|[[o]] !! width="6%"|[[u]] !! width="6%"|[[y]] 
|-
| align=left|[[grave accent|grave]] ||   à   ||   è   ||       ||       ||   ù   ||       
|-
| align=left| [[acute accent|acute]] ||       ||   é   ||       ||       ||       ||       
|-
| align=left| [[circumflex|circonflexe]]         ||   â   ||   ê   ||   î   ||   ô   ||   û   ||       
|-
| align=left|[[Diaeresis (diacritic)|tréma]]    ||       ||   ë   ||   ï   ||       ||   ü    ||   ÿ   
|-
| colspan="7" |
|-
|  align=left|Others                 || [[cedilla|ç]]  || [[œ]] || [[æ]] ||       ||  ||     
|}
Common French usage is to omit accents in capitals, however this is not the proper usage and accents should be included in capitals (as required by the [[Imprimerie nationale]] and usual in Canada). When used in article names, all common non-accented/non-ligatured forms should redirect to the article. There will often be many redirects, but this is intentional and does not represent a problem: [[Saint-Étienne]], [[Édouard Manet]], [[Édith Piaf]], [[Émile Zola]].

=== Sorting ===
Accented characters and ligatures should not affect the sort order of articles in categories etc.  So, where proper names have accents or ligatures, include the <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:}}</nowiki></code> [[Help:Magic words|magic word]] in the article, with those accented characters and ligatures replaced by plain versions.  See [[Évisa]] <sup>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C3%89visa&action=edit (source)]</sup> for an example.  

;Communes starting with the definite article
Note that communes and other places starting with the definite article (La, Le, Les, L') should have the <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT}}</nowiki></code> magic word added with the article absent, e.g. [[La Vernelle]] should contain <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT:Vernelle}}</nowiki></code>.

;Manual sorting within lists, templates etc.
Apart from the above rules, the following conventions should also be followed:
* Do not add the <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT}}</nowiki></code> magic word with hyphens missing
<!-- * It appears that Wikipedia itself sorts case-sensitively.  See the order of [[Jeu-les-Bois]] and [[Jeu-Maloches]], neither of which use the <code><nowiki>{{DEFAULTSORT}}</nowiki></code> magic word, in [[:Category:Communes of Indre]].  Do not try to override this behaviour. *** Category sorting is case sensitive and in both examples provided a sort key has been defined-->
* Communes starting with Saint- are always sorted before communes starting with Sainte-.  Do not try to sort Sainte-* communes in with Saint-E* communes.

=== Capitalization ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:FRENCHCAPS}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (capitalization)#Capitalization of expressions borrowed from other languages}}
There have been two accepted methods to determine the capitalization of titles of works of art. {{strong|For consistency of French titles on the English Wikipedia, the consensus has been to follow the first method.}} The second method had been allowed (not required) only for operas and visual arts, but is in need of a new consensus evaluation. {{under discussion inline|date=December 2020|talk=Wikipedia:Manual of Style/France and French-related articles#Proposed simplification of MOS:FRENCHCAPS, which is more than a decade outdated}}

;{{lang|fr|Imprimerie nationale / Académie Française}} method : These are the rules used on the French Wikipedia, which are those used by the French National publishing house ({{lang|fr|l'[[Imprimerie nationale]]}}) and put forth in its {{lang|fr|Lexique des règles typographiques en usage à l'Imprimerie nationale}}.  This system is also favored by l'[[Académie Française]].  Titles which adhere to these rules may, however, differ from the form of capitalization originally adopted by the author, the cover's graphic artist, or the publishing house (especially for older works that pre-date the current advice of French language authorities).<ref>See, for example, the French titles {{lang|fr|Les caves du Vatican}} (André Gide, Folio edition, {{ISBN|2070360342}}), {{lang|fr|Le ravissement de Lol V. Stein}} (Marguerite Duras, Folio edition, {{ISBN|2070368106}}), and {{lang|fr|Le plaisir du texte}} (Roland Barthes, Seuil, {{ISBN|2020060604}}).</ref>
:These rules are as follows:
::The words capitalized in titles of works of art (books, paintings, etc.) are:
::* proper nouns (names, cities)
::* the initial word of the title and:
::** if this initial word is a definite article ({{lang|fr|le, la, les, l'}}), both the article and its noun (and any modifier between the article and the noun) are capitalized (e.g. {{lang|fr|[[Le Grand Meaulnes]]}}; {{lang|fr|[[La Grande Illusion]]}})
::** if the initial word is a modifier followed by a noun, the entire [[noun phrase]] is likewise capitalized (e.g. ''[[Tristes Tropiques]]'')
::However:
::* if the title is a sentence, only the first letter and proper nouns are capitalized (e.g. ''[[La vie est un long fleuve tranquille]]'')
::* if the title contains an enumeration (e.g. ''La Belle et la Bête''), subsequent nouns of that enumeration are capitalized
::* in cases of a double title (e.g. ''Émile ou De l'éducation''), both parts of the title are treated individually by the above rules; explicit subtitles are likewise treated as complete titles.
:Examples:
:* ''[[La Peau de chagrin]]'' (not "''La peau de chagrin''" or "''La Peau de Chagrin''")
:* ''[[L'Œuvre]]''
:* ''[[Le Ventre de Paris]]''
:* ''[[Les Misérables]]''
;''Chicago Manual of Style'' ([[sentence case]]) method: Since at least the 14th ed. (1993, p.&nbsp;320) ''[[The Chicago Manual of Style]]'' (''CMoS'') recommended only "capitalizing the first word of the title and of the subtitle and of all proper nouns".  However, the 17th ed. (2017, §1127) now explicitly also recognizes the above system (citing {{lang|fr|l'[[Académie Française]]}}), and draws from it exceptions (like {{lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}}) that it applies to its own sentence-case system. ''CMoS'' no longer recommends one system over the other, only using a single approach consistently.  In Wikipedia's early days, the ''CMoS'' sentence-case system was also followed by some major English-language reference works, for instance then-recent editions of ''[[New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', ''[[New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]'', ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', and ''The Viking Opera Guide''. However, new editions of such works have not been checked in this regard in over a decade. {{update needed|date=December 2020}}
:Examples of the sentence-case approach: {{lang|fr|[[Les mamelles de Tirésias]]}}, {{lang|fr|[[Les Indes galantes]]}}, {{lang|fr|[[Les contes d'Hoffmann]]}}, {{lang|fr|[[La vie parisienne]]}}, [[La bohème]].

{{crossref|printworthy=y|For capitalization rules in other domains than titles of works, see next section, {{section link||Naming conventions}}.}}

== Naming conventions ==
=== Noble titles ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (royalty and nobility)}}
There is currently no standard convention for French noble titles and present-day English usage varies greatly.  In Wikipedia articles, French noble titles are currently listed in two different ways:
* in English translation (Duke of, Count of...) for historical figures and royalty most well known by their English forms.  
**while present-day English usage varies with regards to the capitalization of these titles,<ref name="Brittanica-Choiseul">See, for example, the Britannica Online Encyclopedia ([http://www.britannica.com/]).  The entry for [[Étienne François, duc de Choiseul]] is given as: "Etienne Francois de Choiseul, duke de Choiseul".</ref> editors should follow the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters]]. 
**while present-day English usage also varies with regards to the use of "of" or "de" after the titles,<ref name="Brittanica-Choiseul" /> the consensus on [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (royalty and nobility)]] has been to use "of" when the English title is given.
* in French for other cases, maintaining the French title spelling (seigneur, chevalier, marquis, duc, comte) and the '''de'''.

Furthermore, in the second case—French titles in French form—capitalization is currently chaotic:
* in French with lowercase spelling: comtesse de, marquis de...  (e.g., [[Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné]]; [[Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet]]; [[Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme]]; [[François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac]]; [[Jean François Paul de Gondi, cardinal de Retz]]).  This is considered correct usage in contemporary French, and is the form used by ''[[The Chicago Manual of Style]]'' and in article titles on the French wiki.
* in French with capital spelling: Comtesse de, Marquis de... (e.g., [[Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de Laune]]; [[Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon]]; [[Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine]]).  While capitalization of noble titles occurred historically in French, this usage is no longer correct in French.  This form is, however, frequently found in English.<ref>See, for example, ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[The New Yorker]]'' which generally use "Comte de" (e.g. Comte de Buffon) and "Marquis de" (e.g. Marquis de Sade).  ''[[The New York Review of Books]]'' appears to use both "comte de" and "Comte de", "marquis de" and "Marquis de".</ref>

Present English usage itself varies on how to spell such French forms and there is currently no consensus among editors on the issue of capitalization.  As a general rule, if the individual is not better known by an English equivalent and a French form is to be used, it is recommended, regardless of which form of capitalization is used, that forms remain consistent throughout a specific article and that redirects be made from the other acceptable forms.

=== Works of art ===
;Use English title when well-known : In Wikipedia articles and article titles, French titles of works of art should be put into English, if the work is well known by its title in English (with redirects from the French title). Examples: ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'', ''[[The Mines of Sulphur]]'', ''[[Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (opera)|Summer of the Seventeenth Doll]]''. If the work of art is more well known by its title in French, then French should be maintained (with redirects from the English title).

;Capitalization (see above [[#Capitalization]]) : Usage varies in contemporary French with regards to the capitalization of words in titles, and especially to the capitalization of initial words after a definite article. All common forms with variant capitalization should redirect to the article. There will often be many redirects, but this is intentional and does not represent a problem.

===Names of organisations and institutions===
Subject to [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Trademarks]] and [[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (companies)]], names of organisations and institutions (e.g. orchestras, musical ensembles and groups, concert halls, festivals, schools, etc.) should follow official usage (i.e. the spelling, punctuation, etc. used by the organisation's own publications – always check whether the organisation has English-language publications, and if so what name is used in these). In the case of non-English names, we use official English versions if and when they have been established by the organisation itself. If not, we use the native name. ''Original English names, translated from other languages, should not be created.''

== Administrative divisions ==
=== Cities and communes ===
{{main|Wikipedia:Naming conventions (city names)}}
Where possible, articles on cities and communes in France should go under <nowiki>[[placename]].  Where disambiguation is needed, articles have traditionally used the "comma convention" (the standard convention for place names on the English language Wikipedia) and been placed under [[placename, département]]</nowiki>.  Thus [[Tours]], but [[Duras, Lot-et-Garonne]] and [[Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis]].  

Note that on the French Wikipedia, disambiguation is done with the "parentheses convention" and cities appear as <nowiki>[[placename (département x)]]</nowiki>.  There is currently much discussion (see the talk page) for replacing the comma convention with a parentheses convention.

===Arrondissements===
'''Note that this section is still [[WT:Manual of Style (France & French-related)#Style for arrondissements|under discussion on the talk page]]: consensus may not have been reached and article titles and text will not all use this style. Please contribute to the discussion there.'''

Numbered [[municipal arrondissement]]s (for example those of Paris), should use Arabic numbers and English ordinality suffixes, '''not''' the French system of Roman numerals and French suffixes. The city name should follow. For example '''5th arrondissement of Paris''', not <del>Paris, Ve arrondissement</del>

=== French administrative terms ===
The French administrative terms ''[[Departments of France|département]]'' and ''[[Regions of France|région]]'' should not be used, except parenthetically in cases of ambiguity.  Instead, the English-language terms "department" and "region" should be used.<ref>For the discussion leading to this convention, see [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject France/Archive 1]] and [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject France/Archive 2]]).</ref>

The English-language terms ''[[urban area]]''  and ''[[metropolitan area]]'' are inexact equivalents for the French terms ''[[aire urbaine]]'' and ''[[unité urbaine]]''.  Piped links to the French terms should be used.

== Transport conventions ==
=== Rail ([[SNCF]] – [[Réseau Ferré de France|RFF]]) ===
stub: {{tl|France-rail-transport-stub}}
===== Multiple train units =====
*name:  SNCF Class NAME
*category: <nowiki>[[Category:SNCF multiple units|NAME]]</nowiki>
*template: {{tl|SNCF units}}
*example: [[SNCF Class B 81500]]

===== Locomotives =====
*name: SNCF Class NAME
*category: <nowiki>[[Category:SNCF locomotives|NAME]]</nowiki>
*template: {{tl|SNCF locos}}
*example: [[SNCF Class BB 22200]] though mediocre

===== Railways =====
Should the railway be a touristic railway, use the name used commercially (ex. [[Lézarde Express Régionale]]). If it is owned by the RFF, use the basis "Xxx–Yyy railway", with an [[en dash]]. (ex. [[Paris–Marseille railway]]). When deciding which end to put first, use the biggest end, or if they are both equally significant (or insignificant), just use what sounds right.

You should also use [[WP:TRAIL]], and can base the diagram on the site [http://perso.orange.fr/florent.brisou/Lignes.htm Rail 21]. Also, add a link to its regional "TER ''[[Regions of France|REGION]]''" and "[[List of railway lines in France]]" and the Categories: [[:Category:Railway lines in France|Railway lines in France]] and ''[[Regions of France|REGION]]''.

===== Stations =====
#Some stations are known by established common names. These are: Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare de Bercy, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse. Gare du Nord, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare de la Bastille, Gare d'Orsay, Charles de Gaulle–Étoile, Châtelet–Les Halles
#Other station articles should be titled "xxxx station". Where disambiguation is necessary, a suffix can be added e.g. to distinguish [[Luxembourg station]] (in Luxembourg City) from [[Luxembourg station (Paris)]]
#Where a station serves two communities, the two should be separated by an unspaced endash (e.g. [[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines–Montigny-le-Bretonneux station]] or [[Mitry–Claye station]]
#Where a station is one of several serving a city, the qualifier should be preceded by an unspaced hyphen (e.g. [[Versailles-Rive Droite station]], [[Versailles-Chantiers station]].

The station's article should include a link to "List of SNCF stations in ''[[Regions of France|REGION]]''" (see [[List of SNCF stations]]) and the Category: "Railway stations in ''REGION''".

=== Tram ===
:All articles about tramways should go under the title "CITY tramway". You should also add the template {{tl|France Rapid transit}} and the categories <nowiki>[[Category:Transport in CITY|Tramway]]</nowiki>, <nowiki>[[Category:Tram transport in France|CITY]]</nowiki> and <nowiki>[[Category:CITY|Tramway]]</nowiki>. Most pages will have a French equivalent, so link to it (it can be found at [[:fr:Liste des tramways en France]])

== French names in Canada-related articles ==
French names in articles pertaining to subjects related to [[Quebec]], [[Acadia]], and the rest of [[Canada]] should follow the guideline set out at [[WP:CANSTYLE]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [[:fr:Wikipédia:Conventions de style|Wikipédia:Conventions de style]] – French Wikipedia Manual of style
** [[:fr:Wikipédia:Conventions typographiques|Wikipédia:Conventions typographiques]] – Typographic conventions

{{Manual of Style}}

[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (regional)|France]]