Introducing
Your new presentation assistant.
Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.
Trending searches
Word Formation Process
Word Formation Process
Regina Russell 10/24/2021
Shortening by Acronymy
Acronymy- a phrase is reduced to initials and then the initials are pronounced as if a typical word.
Process
1st Usage
The first known usage of acronyms was in 1879 for the telegraphic code
created by William P. Phillips.*
1st Usage
* Zimmerman 2010
Examples of the first acronyms were:
- POTUS-President of the United States.
- SCOTUS-Supreme Court of the United States.
- FLOTUS-First Lady of the United States.*
Frequently used acronyms:
- radar-radio detection and ranging
- sonar-sound navigation and ranging*
Examples
* Zimmerman 2010
* Curzan pg. 113
Continued Usage
Today
Acronyms, Initialisms and Abbreviations Dictionary first publised in 1960.
Text and Social media language
Text Language
New Words
Examples:
- bae-before anyone else
- asap-as soon as possible
- yolo-you only live once
- fomo-fear of missing out*
*Top 50 Text Abbreviations...
Timeline
AIDS
Acronym Dictionary
POTUS
Today
1943
Timeline
YEAR
1980
1960
1879
Bea
Yolo
Radar
Sonar
Work Cited
Curzan, Anne, and Michael Adams. How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction. Pearson Longman, 2012.
Zimmer, Ben “Acronym.” Nytimes.com, The New York Times Magazine, 16 December 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/magazine/19FOB-onlanguage-t.html. Accessed 24 October 2021.
“Top 50 Text Abbreviations and Internet Acronyms in 2021.” Words Matter Wix, 30 June 2020, https://www.wix.com/wordsmatter/blog/2020/07/text-abbreviations-and-internet-acronyms/