Difference between revisions of "Abbreviation"
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| − | + | Our sister encyclopedia, Encarta, informs us that "There are four main kinds of abbreviations: shortenings, contractions, initialisms, and acronyms." <ref name=encarta>[http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861582945/abbreviation.html]</ref> | |
| − | + | ==Using the initial letters of each word== | |
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| − | *''FBI,'' for ''Federal Bureau of Investigation''' | + | So-called '''Initialisms''' are a form of abbreviation in which a phrase is abbreviated to the first letter of each word in the phrase; familiar examples include |
| − | *''AFL-CIO,'' for ''American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations'' | + | |
| + | *''[[CPA]],'' for ''Certified Public Accountant'' | ||
| + | *''[[CBS]],'' for ''Columbia Broadcasting System'' | ||
| + | *''KJV,'' for ''[[King James Version]].'' | ||
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| + | Initialisms are distinguished from [[acronym]]s in that initialisms are pronounced as individual letters, while acronyms are pronounced as if the letters spelled out a word (which they may in some cases do). As Encarta says, "Acronyms are initialisms that have become words in their own right." <ref name=encarta /> The use of the word "acronym" to ''include'' initialisms is increasingly accepted. | ||
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| + | Both initialisms and acronyms are defined by custom; sometimes they do not strictly follow the rule of using every initial, or only the first initial. Unimportant words may be omitted. In the case of acronyms a certain amount of creativity may be employed. | ||
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| + | *''[[FBI]],'' for ''Federal Bureau of Investigation''' | ||
| + | *''[[AFL-CIO]],'' for ''American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations'' | ||
Examples of acronyms include: | Examples of acronyms include: | ||
| − | *''USA PATRIOT'' Act, for ''Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act'' | + | *''[[USA PATRIOT]]'' Act, for ''Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act'' |
*''TULIP,'' for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints (the core tenets of [[Calvinism]]). | *''TULIP,'' for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints (the core tenets of [[Calvinism]]). | ||
| − | *''Roy G. Biv,'' for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet (the conventional description of the colors in the [[spectrum]]). | + | *''[[Roy G. Biv]],'' for ''Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet'' (the conventional description of the colors in the [[spectrum]]). |
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| + | ==Notes== | ||
| + | <references /> | ||
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| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | *[http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/acronyms-grammar.aspx Grammar Girl explains initialisms and acronyms] | ||
| − | + | [[Category:Linguistics]] | |
Latest revision as of 00:49, July 13, 2016
Our sister encyclopedia, Encarta, informs us that "There are four main kinds of abbreviations: shortenings, contractions, initialisms, and acronyms." [1]
Using the initial letters of each word
So-called Initialisms are a form of abbreviation in which a phrase is abbreviated to the first letter of each word in the phrase; familiar examples include
- CPA, for Certified Public Accountant
- CBS, for Columbia Broadcasting System
- KJV, for King James Version.
Initialisms are distinguished from acronyms in that initialisms are pronounced as individual letters, while acronyms are pronounced as if the letters spelled out a word (which they may in some cases do). As Encarta says, "Acronyms are initialisms that have become words in their own right." [1] The use of the word "acronym" to include initialisms is increasingly accepted.
Both initialisms and acronyms are defined by custom; sometimes they do not strictly follow the rule of using every initial, or only the first initial. Unimportant words may be omitted. In the case of acronyms a certain amount of creativity may be employed.
- FBI, for Federal Bureau of Investigation'
- AFL-CIO, for American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Examples of acronyms include:
- USA PATRIOT Act, for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act
- TULIP, for Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints (the core tenets of Calvinism).
- Roy G. Biv, for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (the conventional description of the colors in the spectrum).
