Begin forwarded message: > From: Doug Jones <doug_b_jones@mac.com> > Date: 2007 March 29 10:11:25 EDT > To: Gareth Hay <gazhay@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: <abbr>, <acronym> and initialisms > > > On 2007 Mar 29, at 09:15, Gareth Hay wrote: > >> >> >>> >>> Yes. Definition is from the New Oxford American Dictionary. >>> initialism: an abbreviation consisting of initial letters >>> pronounced separately (e.g., CPU). >>> • an acronym. >>> >>> abbreviation: a shortened form of a word or phrase. >>> >>> Examples include Dr. (doctor), abbr. (abbreviation), WWW (World >>> Wide Web) and UK (United Kingdom). >>> >>> acronym: a word formed from the initial letters of other words. >>> >>> Examples include radar (radio detection and ranging) and laser >>> (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). >> >> What is WWW then? >> >> you say it is an initialism, which is an acronym, but then example >> it as an abbreviation and not an acronym later. >> >> I'm confused?!?! > > Unfortunately, the definition of initialism causes things to be > messy. That an initialism may be an acronym is not part of the > primary definition. > > I amend my example of abbreviation to exclude WWW and UK; these are > initiailsms. However, if we do not separate out initialisms, I > believe they best belong in the abbreviation camp since they do not > form words. > > Also, an abbreviation is customarily expanded upon reading. Perhaps > an initialism is read by character. > > I will get my thought on the AbbrAcronym01 wiki within a day.Received on Thursday, 29 March 2007 15:42:39 GMT
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