NEC: is it "neck" or N-E-C?

Then you shouldn't have included the link. It
says that acronyms, intialisms and alphabetisms
are abbreviations. I've been retired for over 8
years so I may be behind the times. But, during
20 years of writing and editing, I never heard or
saw the word initialism. Probably because there
is no need. For example, saying "FBI is the
initialism of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation," is a rather stupid way of saying
that FBI is(are) the initials of ..........."
BTW, none of my dictionaries have a definition of
initialism. I didn't bother to look up
alphabetism but I've never heard anyone use the
term and it is not found in any of the style
guides I used. Again, probably because there is
very little to no opportunity to use it and not
feel foolish.

In the Wikipedia article, the constructed argument
defining the differences and uses among various
types of abbreviations may be entertaining and
somewhat informative but is mostly nonsense.
Abbreviations are not constructed based on some
set of abstract rules but are usually introduced
as a convenience in writing or speaking and may
vary with the writer or speaker. If a person
introduces an abbreviation that is useful and that
form is accepted, it becomes common, but may
persist only for a short time.

Another BTW, the author has made some rather silly
mistakes in selecting and describing some foreign
language examples. I give only one. The author
says Chinese is a syllable-based writing system.
It is not, it is a word based system. The
pronunciation of some characters have a complex
sound that in English we would be interpreted as
more than one syllable; much different from
Japanese. Also, his interpretation of daxue is as
laughable as interpreting high school in English
to mean tall school.

Posted by RicodJour on November 5, 2006, 6:42 pm

George E. Cawthon wrote:

> RicodJour wrote:

> > George E. Cawthon wrote:

> >> Initialism? Who coined this? It's still an

> >> abbreviation even if only the intials are used.

> >

> > An abbreviation in its strictest sense is merely a shortened form of

> > the word. An initialism uses the initial letters.

> >

> > http://www.answers.com/topic/acronym-and-initialism

> >

> > R

> >

> Then you shouldn't have included the link. It

> says that acronyms, intialisms and alphabetisms

> are abbreviations.

Abbreviations is a general classification and the others are more
specific. Abbreviations doesn't specify how the word was shortened,
the others do. I'm not sure how you could construe what I wrote to
mean something else, but as you did, I'll apologize for not being
clearer.

> I've been retired for over 8

> years so I may be behind the times. But, during

> 20 years of writing and editing, I never heard or

> saw the word initialism.

Just because you haven't encountered something doesn't mean it doesn't
exist.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/initialism
http://www.bartleby.com/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/ahdsearch?search_type=enty&query=initialism&db=ahd&Submit=Search
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/initialism.html
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=initialism&x=0&y=0
http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dict&field-12668446=initialism&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact&sortorder=score%2Cname

Like I said in an earlier post, initialism was a new one on me, and I
thanked Steve for pointing it out.

R

Posted by George E. Cawthon on November 6, 2006, 12:22 am

RicodJour wrote:

> George E. Cawthon wrote:

>> RicodJour wrote:

>>> George E. Cawthon wrote:

>>>> Initialism? Who coined this? It's still an

>>>> abbreviation even if only the intials are used.

>>> An abbreviation in its strictest sense is merely a shortened form of

>>> the word. An initialism uses the initial letters.

>>>

>>> http://www.answers.com/topic/acronym-and-initialism

>>>

>>> R

>>>

>> Then you shouldn't have included the link. It

>> says that acronyms, intialisms and alphabetisms

>> are abbreviations.

> Abbreviations is a general classification and the others are more

> specific. Abbreviations doesn't specify how the word was shortened,

> the others do. I'm not sure how you could construe what I wrote to

> mean something else, but as you did, I'll apologize for not being

> clearer.

Oops I lost track of the thread. My statement was
to Charlie Morgan. Then you answered and I
responded as though you were Charlie Morgan.
Sorry about that.

>> I've been retired for over 8

>> years so I may be behind the times. But, during

>> 20 years of writing and editing, I never heard or

>> saw the word initialism.

> Just because you haven't encountered something doesn't mean it doesn't

> exist.

Sure it does. ;)

Seriously, people that use abbreviations,
acronyms, and such don't have any reason to use
intialism or the more hideous alphabetism. They
just want the correct abbreviation. Pretty soon
we may have to discuss numberisms, symbolisms, and
capitalisms. Thank god capitalism is already used
for something else.

BTW, doesn't alphabetism mean using the alphabet?
Isn't that usually called writing? I see these
terms were used at the beginning of the last
century, apparently they died a needed death for
most American dictionaries. Silly word and phrase
usage is a real poke in the eye for me. Oh well,
I'll just shut up for now.

> http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/initialism

http://www.bartleby.com/cgi-bin/texis/webinator/ahdsearch?search_type=enty&query=initialism&db=ahd&Submit=Search

> http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/initialism.html

> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=initialism&x=0&y=0

http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dict&field-12668446=initialism&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact&sortorder=score%2Cname

> Like I said in an earlier post, initialism was a new one on me, and I

> thanked Steve for pointing it out.

> R

Posted by Steve Barker LT on November 4, 2006, 10:49 pm

LOL! I have never been sucked into the coffee drinking habit. Thanks for
the correction and the laugh.

--
Steve Barker

> Then you should switch to the coffee in the green can! 8^)

Posted by Doug Miller on November 4, 2006, 9:02 am

>It's not an acronym unless it's pronounced as a word. If spelled out, or it

>doesn't make a word it's just an abbreviation.

>Then you have the people who insist on being redundant. Some examples:

>vin number

>nic card

>pin number

>this drives me up a wall when people say these.

ATM machine

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

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