- From: Nicholas Bodley <nbodley@world.std.com>
- Date: Fri, 9 Aug 2002 13:23:42 -0400 (EDT)
- To: w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
In this document, I was sorry to see the term "acronym" used (apparently) to refer to any initialism or "letter-code group", so to speak. Strictly, the term "acronym" describes a word-like character string, usually derived from the initial letters of a phrase, such as "radar" (originally RADAR), from "RAdio Detection And Ranging", or the lesser-known "mosfet", from "metal-oxide- semiconductor field-effect transistor". Acronyms are easy to pronounce. By this definition, "BCPL" and "FTP" are not acronyms; they are not easy to say. The term "acronym" is very distinctive and relatively new to many people, and has come into public awareness. It's "catchy". However, the public generally does not know that all acronyms should be easy to say. They use the term to describe any short string of letters, often capitalized, that are used like acronyms. The term "initialism" is the suggested substitute, recommended by Richard Lederer, a delightfully witty linguist with a quick and keen mind. True, it does not have the charm of "acronym", and, eventually, the definition of "acronym" might become more relaxed. In your remarkable document*, you appear to use "acronym" in the possible future, less-rigorous sense. Considering its relative formality, I do hope that you might consider this minor point. *<http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/TS/html401/> With my best regards, Nicholas Bodley |*| Waltham, Mass. Opera browser fan -- Registered, too Sent by Opera e-mail
Received on Friday, 9 August 2002 13:32:43 UTC