Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase. For example, the word abbreviation can itself be represented by the abbreviation abbr., abbrv. or abbrev that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. These components may be individual letters (as in CEO A chief executive officer or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer (executive) or administrator in charge of total management of an organization. An individual appointed as CEO of a corporation, company, organization, or agency reports to the board of directors) or parts of words (as in Benelux The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe that comprises three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany. The Union's name is formed from the beginning of each country's name; it was possibly created for the Benelux Customs Union,). There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms (see nomenclature), nor on written usage (see orthographic styling). While popular in recent English, such abbreviations have historical use in English as well as other languages. As a type of word formation In linguistics, word formation is the creation of a new word. Word formation is sometimes contrasted with semantic change, which is a change in a single word's meaning. The line between word formation and semantic change is sometimes a bit blurry; what one person views as a new use of an old word, another person might view as a new word derived process, acronyms and initialisms are viewed as a subtype of blending In linguistics, a blend is a word formed from parts of two or more other words. These parts are sometimes, but not always, morphemes.
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Nomenclature
In 1943, David Davis of Bell Laboratories Bell Laboratories is the research and development organization of Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) coined the term acronym as the name for a word created from the first letters of each word in a series of words (such as sonar Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in Submarine navigation) to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels. Two types of technology share the name "sonar": passive sonar is essentially listening for the sound made by vessels; active sonar is emitting pulses of sounds and listening for echoes, created from sound navigation and ranging).[1] While the word abbreviation An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase. For example, the word abbreviation can itself be represented by the abbreviation abbr., abbrv. or abbrev refers to any shortened form of a word or a phrase, some have used initialism or alphabetism to refer to an abbreviation formed simply from, and used simply as, a string of initials.
Although the term acronym is widely used to describe any abbreviation formed from initial letters,[2] most dictionaries define acronym to mean "a word" in its original sense, [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] while some include a secondary indication of usage, attributing to acronym the same meaning as that of initialism.[16][17][18] According to the primary definition found in most dictionaries, acronyms examples include, NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO (pronounced /ˈneɪtoʊ/ NAY-toe; French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord ), also called the "(North) Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, (pronounced /ˈneɪtoʊ/), scuba A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving (/ˈskuːbə/), and radar Radar is an object-detection system that uses electromagnetic waves - specifically radio waves - to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, spacecraft, mountain ranges, radio and TV towers, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish, or (/ˈreɪdɑr/), while examples of initialisms would include FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime. Its motto is the backronym of FBI, "Fidelity, Bravery, (/ˌɛfˌbiːˈaɪ/) and HTML HTML, which stands for HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for web pages. It is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of "tags" surrounded by angle brackets within the web page content (/ˌeɪtʃˌtiːˌɛmˈɛl/).[12][17][19]
There is no agreement on what to call abbreviations whose pronunciation involves the combination of letter names and words, such as JPEG In computing, JPEG is a commonly used method of lossy compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality (/ˈdʒeɪpɛɡ/) and MS-DOS MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating systems offering a graphical user interface (GUI), (/ˌɛmɛsˈdɒs/).
There is also some disagreement as to what to call abbreviations that some speakers pronounce as letters and others pronounce as a word. For example, the terms URL In computing, a Uniform Resource Locator is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that specifies where an identified resource is available and the mechanism for retrieving it. In popular usage and in many technical documents and verbal discussions it is often incorrectly used as a synonym for URI,. The best-known example of a URL is the " and IRA An Individual Retirement Arrangement is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States can be pronounced as individual letters: /ˌjuːˌɑrˈɛl] and /ˌaɪˌɑrˈeɪ/ respectively; or as a single word: /ˈɜrl/ and /ˈaɪrə/ respectively. Such constructions, however—regardless of how they are pronounced—if formed from initials, may be identified as initialisms without controversy.
The term for the word-by-word reconstruction of an acronym or initialism is an expansion.
Comparing a few examples of each type
- Pronounced as a word, containing only initial letters
- AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct: acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- ASBO An Anti-Social Behaviour Order or ASBO is a civil order made against a person who has been shown, on the balance of evidence, to have engaged in anti-social behaviour in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The orders, designed originally by former Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, were designed to be imposed after minor incidents that: Anti-Social Behaviour Order
- NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO (pronounced /ˈneɪtoʊ/ NAY-toe; French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique Nord ), also called the "(North) Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium,: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Scuba A scuba set is an independent breathing set that provides a scuba diver with the breathing gas necessary to breathe underwater during scuba diving. It is much used for sport diving and some sorts of work diving: self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
- Pronounced as a word, containing non-initial letters
- Amphetamine Amphetamine or amfetamine (INN) is a psychostimulant drug that is known to produce increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite. Amphetamine is chemically related to methamphetamine and lisdexamfetamine, a class of potent drugs that act by increasing levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, inducing: alpha-methyl-phenethylamine
- Gestapo The Gestapo (German pronunciation: [gəˈstaːpo] ; abbreviation of Geheime Staatspolizei, Secret State Police) was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning in April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police (Chef der Deutschen Polizei). From September 1939: Geheime Staatspolizei (secret state police)
- Interpol Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation. It was established as the International Criminal Police Commission in 1923 and adopted its telegraphic address as its common name in 1956: International Criminal Police Organization
- Radar Radar is an object-detection system that uses electromagnetic waves - specifically radio waves - to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, spacecraft, mountain ranges, radio and TV towers, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish, or: radio detection and ranging
- Pronounced as a word or names of letters, depending on speaker or context
- FAQ Frequently asked questions, or FAQs are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be frequently asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual media, its pronunciation varies; "fack," "fax," "facts," and "F.A.Q." are commonly heard. Depending on: ([fæk] or F A Q) frequently asked questions
- IRA An Individual Retirement Arrangement is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States: When used for Individual Retirement Account An Individual Retirement Arrangement is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States, can be pronounced as letters (I R A) or as a word [ˈaɪrə]
- SAT The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still administers the exam. The College Board claims: ([sæt] or S A T) (previously) Scholastic Achievement (or Aptitude) Test(s), now claimed not to stand for anything.[20]
- SQL SQL , often referred to as Structured Query Language, is a database computer language designed for managing data in relational database management systems (RDBMS), and originally based upon relational algebra. Its scope includes data insert, query, update and delete, schema creation and modification, and data access control. SQL was one of the: ([siːkwəl] or S Q L) Structured Query Language.
- Pronounced as a combination of names of letters and a word
- CD-ROM CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback, the 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data: (C-D-[rɒm]) Compact Disc read-only memory
- IUPAC The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry , pronounced /ˈaɪjuːpæk/, is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations that represents chemists in individual countries. It is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The international headquarters of IUPAC is located in Zürich, Switzerland. The: (I-U-[pæk]) International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
- JPEG In computing, JPEG is a commonly used method of lossy compression for photographic images. The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality: (J-[pɛɡ]) Joint Photographic Experts Group
- SFMOMA The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum in San Francisco, California established in 1935 under director Grace L. McCann Morley as the San Francisco Museum of Art, the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th-century art. A gift of 36 artworks from Albert M. Bender, including The Flower Carrier, 1935, by Diego: (S-F-[moʊmə]) San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Pronounced only as the names of letters
- BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster that operates under a Royal Charter. Within the UK, it is funded principally by an annual television licence fee, which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any: British Broadcasting Corporation (also known as 'Beeb')
- DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid ( /diːˌɒksɨˌraɪbɵ.nuːˈkleɪ.ɪk ˈæsɪd/ (help·info)) (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses. The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of: deoxyribonucleic acid
- USA ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language: United States of America
- GTL: Gym, Tanning, Laundry
- IRA The Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916. In 1919, the Irish Republic that had been proclaimed during the Easter Rising was formally: When used for the Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann) was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916. In 1919, the Irish Republic that had been proclaimed during the Easter Rising was formally
- Pronounced as the names of letters but with a shortcut
- AAA:
- (triple A) American Automobile Association The AAA , formally known as the American Automobile Association, is a 50 million member North American not-for-profit automobile lobby group, service organization, and seller of vehicle insurance. Its national headquarters are in Heathrow, Florida; abdominal aortic aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a localized dilatation (ballooning) of the abdominal aorta exceeding the normal diameter by more than 50 percent. Approximately 90 percent of abdominal aortic aneurysms occur infrarenally (below the kidneys), but they can also occur pararenally (at the level of the kidneys) or suprarenally (above the kidneys). Such; anti-aircraft artillery Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defence, is any method of engaging hostile military aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces or denial of passage through a specific airspace region, area or anti-aircraft combat zone. It is also used in denying entry into national air space to unauthorized aircraft
- (three As) Amateur Athletic Association
- IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE is an international non-profit, professional organization for the advancement of technology related to electricity. It has the most members of any technical professional organization in the world, with more than 395,000 members in around 150 countries: (I triple E) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP and pronounced N-double-A-C-P, is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate: (N double A C P) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi- voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Its headquarters are located in Indianapolis, Indiana: (N C double A or N C two A or N C A A) National Collegiate Athletic Association
- AAA:
- Shortcut incorporated into name
- 3M 3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul: (three M) originally Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
- E3: (E three) Electronic Entertainment Exposition
- W3C The World Wide Web Consortium is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web (abbreviated WWW or W3): (W three C) World Wide Web Consortium
- C4ISTAR In military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control: (C four I star) Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance[21]
- Multi-layered acronyms
- NAC Breda NAC Breda, simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, The Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of their fans. In their history, NAC won one: (Dutch football club) NOAD ADVENDO Combinatie ("NOAD ADVENDO Combination"), formed by the 1912 merger of two clubs, NOAD (Nooit Opgeven Altijd Doorgaan "Never give up, always persevere") and ADVENDO (Aangenaam Door Vermaak En Nuttig Door Ontspanning "Pleasant for its entertainment and useful for its relaxation") from Breda[22][23]
- GAIM Pidgin is a multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple. Libpurple has support for many commonly used instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to log into various different services from one application: GTK+ AOL Instant Messenger, i.e. GIMP Tool Kit America OnLine Instant Messenger, i.e. GNU Image Manipulation Program Tool Kit America OnLine Instant Messenger, i.e. GNU's Not Unix Image Manipulation Program Tool Kit America OnLine Instant Messenger
- PAC-3: PATRIOT Advanced Capability 3 i.e., Phased Array Tracking RADAR Intercept on Target i.e., RAdio Detection And Ranging
- VHDL: VHSIC hardware description language, where VHSIC stands for very-high-speed integrated circuit.
- Recursive acronyms, in which the abbreviation refers to itself
- Pseudo-acronyms consisting of a sequence of characters which, when pronounced as intended, invoke other longer words with less typing (see also Internet slang)
- Initialisms whose last abbreviated word is often redundantly included anyway
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Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:08:05 GMT+00:00
The Coloradoan DSLR: Acronym for digital single lens reflex, a type of camera used most frequently by professional and advanced consumer photographers. ...
Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:42:06 PST
New mix 2010 Dj Acronym Enjoy!. youtube.com.
