Citing Bilingual Titles with an Equals Sign or Slash
Citing Bilingual Titles with an Equals Sign or Slash records a distinct source-supported writing task while keeping implementation mechanics, unsupported preferences, and adjacent intents outside the page.
Chicago permits an equals sign or a slash between two full-language forms of a bilingual title, and prefers an equals sign when the source itself does not supply a separating mark.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
This is Chicago-specific citation guidance for bilingual titles, not a general rule that every slash in a title should be replaced with an equals sign.
Further guidance
Content
Keep both title forms and separate them with a spaced equals sign or slash according to the cited source and Chicago’s guidance.
Practical Application
When a source presents two full-language forms of the same title, preserve the source’s own separator when appropriate. If the source gives no separating mark and Chicago is the governing style, an equals sign is preferred; a slash is also permitted by the cited guidance. Do not use these marks for a translated subtitle that serves a different bibliographic function.
Purpose
The delimiter makes clear that the citation presents two language forms of the same title rather than a title and subtitle.
Reader Check
Are the two parts genuinely parallel full-language title forms, and does the source itself supply a separator that should be preserved?
Worked Example
If a bilingual work gives an English and French full title without a separator, a Chicago-style citation may place an equals sign between the two forms rather than inventing a colon.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- CMOS Q&A — slash between bilingual titles (opens in a new tab)University of Chicago Press · Official Chicago guidance for separating two full-language forms of a bilingual title with a spaced equals sign or slash, preferring an equals sign when the source supplies no separator.