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Subject:Re: TIEBREAKER NEEDED: What do you call this? From:"Cheverie, Paul [Cont]" <paul -dot- cheverie -at- CANADA -dot- CDEV -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 20 Jul 1995 13:22:00 EDT
Nancy,
IMO 'bit' is a contraction.
Acronym - as defined by the Oxford dictionary:" n. a word, usu. pronounced
as such, formed from the initial letters of other words..."
Abbreviation - as defined by the Oxford (my favorite dictionary): "...a
shortened form of a word or phrase"
Contraction - Oxford again: "... a shortening of a word by combination or
elision."
By the Oxford's definition bit can only be a contraction - it does not
include the initial letter of each word (binary digit) so it isn't an
acronym - it could be listed as an abbreviation, because essentially it is
an abbreviated phrase, but the most exact fit is 'contraction' because it is
two words combined into one by the exclusion of letters and syllables
(elision).
I don't know how the Webster's definitions of acronym, abbreviation and
contraction compare to the Oxford ( I don't have a copy of Webster's here at
work), but I would imagine they are very nearly identical.
Regards,
Paul
paul -dot- cheverie -at- canada -dot- cdev -dot- com
or
cheverip -at- cia -dot- com
----------
From: TECHWR-L
To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L
Subject: TIEBREAKER NEEDED: What do you call this?
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 1995 1:05PM
Well, thank you all for your responses. However, I'm now more confused.
There are three predominant responses I got, and I don't know which one is
correct: abbreviation, acronym, and contraction. For those who are late
joining this discussion, I'm trying to find out what to call the word
bit, which is "short for" binary digit. Any and all clarity here would
be appreciated!
