[Magdalen] TECnical question

[Lynn Ronkainen]

I would imagine that many acronyms pose the kind of grammar problem problems 
you envision Roger.  An acronym, once entered into the vocabulary pool 
looses it's 'proper grammatical identity' among those who use it most often. 
I might add, to impose grammar rules upon most acronyms as though it was its 
own longer 'name' would be a misplaced intention. (IMNSHO...)

PECUSA was the original acronym before it was changed to TEC... I'm not too 
sure the former was spoken aloud much, but did appear in print among 
Episcopalians. TEC seems to lend itself more to being spoken aloud, and so 
it is.

The back and forth between the US  Church and the 'mother church' on issues 
of the prayer book are much more well deserved, IMO, than the leap that the 
US Church muddies the waters by using the word 'episcopal'.  In the bigger 
picture the word Episcopal is much more 'informative' of a church body than 
is the word Anglican (if used in isolation), after all....

my .02
Lynn



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--------------------------------------------------
From: "Roger Stokes" <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2015 9:32 AM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] TECnical question

> On 04/05/2015 14:44, Ferdinand von Prondzynski (sms) wrote:
>> Thirdly, the acronym has a vaguely annoying implication for 
>> non-Americans, and maybe for Scots in particular. The US Episcopal Church 
>> is not THE Episcopal Church, it is AN Episcopal Church. The acronym 
>> suggests a degree of disinterest in, or a claim of superiority over, 
>> wider Anglicanism.
>
> I would another potential issue here - the fat that the phrase abbreviated 
> starts with the definite article.  The acronym can be used as an acronym, 
> particularly when trying to shorten something. Thus you might get 
> references to "A TEC spokesperson" or "TEC bishop".  When expanded into 
> its full form the first of these becomes "A The Episcopal Church 
> spokesperson" with the indefinite and definite articles together.  The 
> second one becomes "The Episcopal Church bishop" - the only bishop in that 
> Church?
>
> Roger, who admits he has been guilty of this error on this forum and will 
> seek to do better.