Hyphen with Foreign Phrases, Proper Nouns, and Family Terms as Modifiers
The Hyphen
Rulebase Summary
Do not hyphenate foreign expressions or proper nouns when they modify a noun (ad hoc committee, prima facie evidence). For family terms, hyphenate compounds using 'great' or the phrase 'in-law' (great-grandmother, mother-in-law), but do not hyphenate those using 'grand' or 'step' (grandmother, stepson).
Use a hyphen between two nouns showing one person holds more than one function, one thing serves more than one purpose, or two people share a common relationship (attorney-client, doctor-patient, work-study). Use a hyphen between two proper nouns that act as a one-thought modifier. When a hyphen already exists within one of the proper nouns, a dash may be used instead of a second hyphen.
Examples
Q. Was this covered by the attorney client privilege?
Q. Was this covered by the attorney-client privilege?
Two nouns showing a shared relationship require a hyphen.
A. She is my great grandmother on my mother's side.
A. She is my great-grandmother on my mother's side.
Family terms with 'great' take a hyphen, but 'grand' and 'step' do not.
Style Guide References (6)
Morson's
Morson's
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP
Morson's