Changes

Etymology

 

==Etymology==

From acro- "sharp, high" + -onym "name", modelled after homonym and synonym. From Ancient Greek ἄκρος (akros) "extremity" and ὄνομα "name".

From acro- "sharp, high" + -onym "name", modelled after homonym and synonym. From Ancient Greek ἄκρος (akros) "extremity" and ὄνομα "name".

*1. An abbreviation formed by (usually initial) letters taken from a word or series of words, and which is itself pronounced as a word, such as RAM, radar, or scuba; sometimes contrasted with initialism.

*1. An abbreviation formed by (usually initial) letters taken from a word or series of words, and which is itself pronounced as a word, such as RAM, radar, or scuba; sometimes contrasted with initialism.

*2. Any abbreviation so formed, regardless of pronunciation, such as TNT, IBM, or XML.

*2. Any abbreviation so formed, regardless of pronunciation, such as TNT, IBM, or XML.

Usage notes

==Usage notes==

*1. Although contradictory, both meanings of the word acronym are in common use. The second sense is often criticized by commentators who prefer the term initialism for abbreviations that are not pronounced like an ordinary word.

*1. Although contradictory, both meanings of the word acronym are in common use. The second sense is often criticized by commentators who prefer the term initialism for abbreviations that are not pronounced like an ordinary word.

*3. Older usage required that each letter be followed by a full stop. Current usage tends to omit full stops.[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/acronym]

*3. Older usage required that each letter be followed by a full stop. Current usage tends to omit full stops.[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/acronym]

'''Acronyms''' and '''initialisms''' are [[abbreviation]]s, such as [[NATO]], [[laser]], and [[IBM]], that are formed using the initial letters of words or word parts in a phrase or name. Acronyms and initialisms are usually pronounced in a way that is distinct from that of the full forms for which they stand: as the names of the individual letters (as in ''IBM''), as a word (as in ''NATO''), or as a combination (as in ''[[IUPAC]]'').

'''Acronyms''' and '''initialisms''' are [[abbreviation]]s, such as [[NATO]], [[laser]], and [[IBM]], that are formed using the initial letters of words or word parts in a phrase or name. Acronyms and initialisms are usually pronounced in a way that is distinct from that of the full forms for which they stand: as the names of the individual letters (as in ''IBM''), as a word (as in ''NATO''), or as a combination (as in ''[[IUPAC]]'').

In English-language discussion of languages with [[syllabary|syllabic]] and/or [[logographic]] writing systems (such as [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and [[Korean language|Korean]]), ''acronym'' describes short forms that take the first character of each (multi-character) element. For example, Beijing University—''Beijing Daxue'' (literally, ''North-Capital Big-School'' 北京大学) —is widely known as ''Beida'' (literally, ''North-Big'' 北大). In describing such languages, the term ''initialism'' is inapplicable.

In English-language discussion of languages with [[syllabary|syllabic]] and/or [[logographic]] writing systems (such as [[Chinese language|Chinese]], [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and [[Korean language|Korean]]), ''acronym'' describes short forms that take the first character of each (multi-character) element. For example, Beijing University—''Beijing Daxue'' (literally, ''North-Capital Big-School'' 北京大学) —is widely known as ''Beida'' (literally, ''North-Big'' 北大). In describing such languages, the term ''initialism'' is inapplicable.

== History ==

== History ==

=== Plurals and possessives ===

=== Plurals and possessives ===

The traditional style of pluralizing single letters with the addition of ''’s'' (for example, ''B'''’'''s come after A'''’'''s'') was extended to some of the earliest initialisms, which tended to be written with periods to indicate the omission of letters; some writers still pluralize initialisms in this way. Additionally, because an apostrophe can stand for missing letters, an abbreviation of ''compact discs'', for example, can logically be rendered ''CD’s''. Some style guides continue to require such apostrophes—perhaps partly to make it clear that the lower case ''s'' is only for pluralization and would not appear in the singular form of the word, for some acronyms and abbreviations do include lower case letters.

The traditional style of pluralizing single letters with the addition of ''’s'' (for example, ''B'''’'''s come after A'''’'''s'') was extended to some of the earliest initialisms, which tended to be written with periods to indicate the omission of letters; some writers still pluralize initialisms in this way. Additionally, because an apostrophe can stand for missing letters, an abbreviation of ''compact discs'', for example, can logically be rendered ''CD’s''. Some style guides continue to require such apostrophes—perhaps partly to make it clear that the lower case ''s'' is only for pluralization and would not appear in the singular form of the word, for some acronyms and abbreviations do include lower case letters.

==== The Tetragrammaton ====

==== The Tetragrammaton ====

The [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''tetragrammaton'' is used as a proper noun to describe the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] spelling of the name of the [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic]] [[god]], [[YHVH|יהוה]] (commonly transliterated as "YHVH", "YHWH", "Yahweh", or "Jehovah"), which [[Jew]]s do not speak aloud, and protect when written (see [[Geniza]]). [[Scribe]]s are prohibited from correcting, modifying, or erasing this word, or any series of four words which all begin, or all end, with these letters. Friday-night [[Shabbat]] [[Kiddush]] begins "Vay'hi Erev, Vay'hi Boker, '''Y'''om '''H'''aShishi. '''V'''ayachulu '''H'''ashamayim ..." Even though the first sentence is unnecessary to say, it would be breaking up the Tetragrammaton ''not'' to say it. The first four words, then, are completely unnecessary, but omitting them would make the next two words in some sense incomplete. Jews therefore whisper the first four words and say the rest out loud.

The [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''tetragrammaton'' is used as a proper noun to describe the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] spelling of the name of the [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic]] [[god]], [[YHVH|יהוה]] (commonly transliterated as "YHVH", "YHWH", "Yahweh", or "Jehovah"), which [[Jew]]s do not speak aloud, and protect when written (see [[Geniza]]). [[Scribe]]s are prohibited from correcting, modifying, or erasing this word, or any series of four words which all begin, or all end, with these letters. Friday-night [[Shabbat]] [[Kiddush]] begins "Vay'hi Erev, Vay'hi Boker, '''Y'''om '''H'''aShishi. '''V'''ayachulu '''H'''ashamayim ..." Even though the first sentence is unnecessary to say, it would be breaking up the Tetragrammaton ''not'' to say it. The first four words, then, are completely unnecessary, but omitting them would make the next two words in some sense incomplete. Jews therefore whisper the first four words and say the rest out loud.

== Examples ==

== Examples ==

 

* pronounced as a word, containing only initial letters:

* pronounced as a word, containing only initial letters:

** [[FNMA]]: (Fannie Mae) Federal National Mortgage Association

** [[FNMA]]: (Fannie Mae) Federal National Mortgage Association