Q. Why is “Speaking” in the example “Non-English-Speaking Representatives” in the 17th edition capitalized? Since “non-” is a prefix and cannot stand alone as a word, shouldn’t “speaking” be lowercase? Thank you for your explanation.
A. That principle in the 17th edition applied only to the second element in a hyphenated term formed with a prefix. For example,
Are Antihistamines Overprescribed? (lowercase h in “histamines”)
Are Anti-intellectuals Overrated? (lowercase i in “intellectuals”)
It wouldn’t apply to a third element, like “Speaking” in “Non-English-Speaking.”
And note that, starting with the 18th edition, CMOS recommends capitalizing the second element in a hyphenated compound formed with a prefix (“Anti-Intellectuals”). See CMOS 8.162.