[Magdalen] Acronyms and initialisms (was TECnical question)

[Christopher Hart]

I'm afraid that I was likewise unfamiliar with it, but Dictionary.com lists
it and defines it pretty much as discussed here.​

On Mon, May 4, 2015 at 2:48 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> >
>



-- 

Christopher Hart

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