And is there a technical term for words whose abbreviations are actually longer than the original word? Such as "www", the nine-syllable 'abbreviation' for the three-syllable "World-Wide Web". Michael Fennema Uni-Circuit Inc. -----原始郵件----- 寄件者: Kasprzak, Bill (esd) USX <[log in to unmask]> 收件者: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> 日期: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 20:41 主旨: Re: [TN] Getting More, and Not Paying More |Brian, | |Is it possible then, for an abbreviation to become an acronym? | |For example, WYSIWYG, should be an abbreviation but, over the years we've |learned to pronounce it as "Whiz-e-wig". | |Bill Kasprzak |Moog Inc. | |> -----Original Message----- |> From: Brian Ellis [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] |> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 4:31 AM |> To: [log in to unmask] |> Subject: Re: [TN] Getting More, and Not Paying More |> |> Steve |> |> If you think acronym is an acronym, have another think coming: it is of |> pure Greek origin. Your "explanation" possibly has a name, but I don't |> know it. The following are cut and pasted from the electronic Oxford |> dictionary: |> |> acronym // n. |> a word, usu. pronounced as such, formed from the initial letters of |> other words (e.g. Ernie, laser, Nato). |> [Greek akron 'end' + onuma = onoma 'name'] |> |> abbreviation / / n. |> 1 an abbreviated form, esp. a shortened form of a word or phrase. |> 2 the process or result of abbreviating. |> [Middle English via Late Latin abbreviare 'shorten' from Latin brevis |> 'short': cf. abridge] |> |> I bring to your attention the essential difference between these. If you |> pronounce an abbreviation as a word and not letters, then - and only |> then - it is an acronym. Thus, for example, DFM is an abbreviation and |> not an acronym, because your say it 'dee-eff-emm'. Laser (Light |> Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an acronym, |> because it is usually pronounced 'layzer' and not 'ell-ay-ess-ee-are', |> which it would be, were it a simple abbreviation. |> |> What does 'Steve' mean? Some Times Even Very Eloquent? |> |> Here endeth the first lesson. |> |> Brian |> "Stephen R. Gregory" wrote: |> > |> > > O.K. Rick.....What does TANSTAAFL mean? |> > |> > Hey all! |> > |> > Sitting here eating lunch, I found this: |> > |> > http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/abbrev.html |> > |> > It's got just about every acronym defined that you could think of there, |> all |> > in alphabetical order...in fact, did you know that acronym is a acronym? |> > |> > ACRONYM = Abbreviated Coded Rendition Of Name Yielding Meaning |> > |> > There was some pretty good ones there...I was ROTFLMAAOBPO!!! |> > |> > PCMCIA, |> > |> > -Steve Gregory- |> > |> > |> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |> ------- |> > Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d |> > To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text |> in |> > the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet |> > To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send the following message: SET |> Technet NOMAIL |> > Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases |> > E-mail Archives |> > Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for |> additional |> > information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 |> ext.5315 |> > |> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |> ------- |> |> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |> ------- |> Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d |> To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in |> the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet |> To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send the following message: SET |> Technet NOMAIL |> Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > |> E-mail Archives |> Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for |> additional |> information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 |> ext.5315 |> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |> ------- | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- |Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d |To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in |the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet |To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send the following message: SET Technet NOMAIL |Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > E-mail Archives |Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional |information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 |------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt delivery of Technet send the following message: SET Technet NOMAIL Search previous postings at: www.ipc.org > On-Line Resources & Databases > E-mail Archives Please visit IPC web site (http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm) for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------