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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/

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