[Magdalen] Acronyms and initialisms (was TECnical question)

[Grace Cangialosi]

Well, initialism is a new word for me...never heard of it!

> On May 4, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Kristin Rollins <kristin at verumsolum.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, May 4, 2015, at 01:00 PM, Mahoney, W. Michael wrote:
>> Note that some acronyms get "spelled out"; OMB and DoD are examples.
>> Others get pronounced as words; NASA is example.  My guess is that if
>> "TEC"
>> ever came into common usage (and I hope it doesn't), it would be spelled
>> out.
> 
> That fact leads to some warring of words in this household. My beloved
> makes a distinction between acronyms and initialisms and insists that
> they are two separate categories. If they are pronounced as words, they
> are acronyms; if they are not, they are initialisms. I maintain that
> initialism is the term for that subset of acronyms which are spelled
> out, but that all initialisms are acronyms, too.
> 
> I suspect neither of us will ever budge from our positions.
> 
> Kristin
> 
> -- 
>  Kristin Rollins
>  kristin at verumsolum.com
>  Portsmouth, VA
>