Graphical abbreviations

Graphical abbreviations are the result of shortening of words and word-groups only in written speech while orally the corresponding full forms are used. They are used for the economy of space and effort in writing.

The oldest group of graphical abbreviations in English is of Latin origin. In Russian this type of abbreviations is not typical. In these abbreviations in the spelling Latin words are shortened, while orally the corresponding English equivalents are pronounced in the full form, e.g. for example (Latin exampli gratia), a.m. in the morning (ante meridiem), No-number (numero), p.a. a year (per annun), d penny (dinarus), lb pound (libra), i.e. that is (id est). In some cases initial letters are pronounced, e.g. a.m. [eI em], p.m. [pI em] etc. In such cases they can be treated as lexical initial abbreviations.

Some graphical abbreviations of Latin origin have different English equivalents in different contexts, e.g. p.m. can be pronounced in the afternoon (post meridiem) and after death (post mortem).

There are also graphical abbreviations of native origin where in the spelling we have abbreviations of words and word-groups of the corresponding English equivalents in the full form. We have several semantic groups of them:

a) days of the week, e.g. Mon – Monday, Tue – Tuesday etc.

b) names of months, e.g. Apr – April, Aug – August, Sep – September etc..

c) names (if counties in UK), e.g. Yorks – Yorkshire, Berks - Berkshire etc.

d) names of states in the USA, e.g. Ala – Alabama, Ala – Alaska, Calif – California etc.

e) names of address, e.g. Mr., Mrs., Ms [mIz], Dr etc.

f) military ranks, e.g. capt. – captain, sgt – sergeant etc.

g) scientific degrees, e.g. BA – Bachelor of Arts, DM – Doctor of Medicine etc.

(Sometimes in scientific degrees we have abbreviations of Latin origin, e.g. MB – Medicinae Baccalaurus)

h) units of time, length, weight, e.g. sec. – second, mg. – milligram etc.

The reading of some graphical abbreviations depends on the context e.g. m can be read as: male, married, metre, mile, million, minute.