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Subject:Re: Calling all philologists! From:"Robert E. Allen" <re_allen -at- PNL -dot- GOV> Date:Tue, 31 May 1994 18:04:28 GMT
In article <9405270530 -dot- AA04051 -at- csdc_4 -dot- toshiba -dot- oz -dot- au>, Margaret Gerard
<margaret%mailhost -at- toshiba -dot- tic -dot- oz -dot- au> says:
>What's the word for (or the name of the process of making) an
>abbreviation out of the initial letters of a set of words, in the
>case where the abbreviation is not going to form an acronym?
The rule here is (rules here are)
1. An acronym is a pronouncable word made from the initial
letters (NATO).
2. An initialism in an unpronouncable word made from the
initial letters (IBM).
3. An abbreviation is a shortened version of a word or phrase,
pronouncability is optional (dept, FinPlan).
