Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: Abbreviations and Signs A Primer of Information about Abbreviations and Signs with Classified Lists of Those in Most Common Use by Hamilton Frederick W Frederick William
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page
Ebook has 258 lines and 64179 words, and 6 pages
PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 GENERAL RULES FOR THE USE OF ABBREVIATIONS 3 DATES 3 TIME 5 OTHER ABBREVIATIONS INVOLVING NUMERALS 5 GEOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS, WITH LIST 7 ABBREVIATIONS OF NAMES, WITH LIST 10 ABBREVIATIONS OF TITLES, WITH LIST 12 SIZES OF BOOKS 18 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 19 FOOTNOTES 19 SCRIPTURAL ABBREVIATIONS 23 COMMERCIAL ABBREVIATIONS 24 MISCELLANEOUS ABBREVIATIONS 25 MONETARY SIGNS 35 MATHEMATICAL SIGNS 35 MEDICAL SIGNS 36 ASTRONOMICAL SIGNS 37 ECCLESIASTICAL SIGNS 37 PROOFREADER'S SIGNS 38 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS 40 SUPPLEMENTARY READING 41 REVIEW QUESTIONS 42
ABBREVIATIONS AND SIGNS
INTRODUCTION
The introduction of printing removed the pressing necessity for the extensive use of abbreviations, but the actual use continued much longer than one would think. The early printed books were reproductions of manuscripts. In some cases the earliest were almost forgeries, and were probably intended to be sold as manuscripts. The types were cut in imitation of the handwriting of some well-known scribe and all his mannerisms and peculiarities were faithfully copied. An incidental result was the expansion of fonts of type by the inclusion of a great number of ligatures and of characters indicating the omission or combination of letters. Habit dies hard, and even after the type founders had freed themselves from the tyranny of manuscript printers continued to follow the habits of the copyist. The saving of material and labor still continued to be considered. The methods of abbreviation in use in written matter continued to be followed in print even down to the first quarter of the last century.
The result of all this abbreviation was serious and well-founded complaint about the difficulty of reading books thus printed. De Vinne gives the following astonishing example, said to be taken practically at random from a Latin copy of the Logic of Ockham printed at Paris in 1488.
"Sic his e fal sm qd ad simplr a e pducibile a Deo g a e silr hic a n e g a n e pducibile a Deo."
These are the abbreviations for Sicut his est fallacia secundum quid ad simpliciter. A est producibile a Deo. Ergo A est. Et similiter hic. A non est. Ergo A non est producibile a Deo.
The best present usage is to use abbreviations very sparingly. Certain recognized abbreviations are used under certain conditions, but generally only under constraint of limited space.
RULES FOR THE USE OF ABBREVIATIONS
Use no contractions or abbreviations in any place where there is room to print the words in full.
All legitimate words should be spelled out in full in text matter, but abbreviations are often needed in book work for footnotes and tables and in commercial work, where many brief forms and signs are used which are commonly understood and are as intelligible as words.
Certain special forms of printing such as market and stock reports, sporting news, price lists, directories, telephone directories, and the like make extensive use of abbreviations and signs. These abbreviations are of very limited use and often of only temporary life. They are not intelligible to general readers and should never be used outside the particular form of composition to which they pertain. De Vinne suggests that in the absence of printed authority every proofreader would do well to keep a manuscript book of unlisted abbreviations which he has to use repeatedly as a means of securing uniformity of form.
The accepted abbreviations for the months are:
The accepted abbreviations for the days of the week are:
The accepted abbreviations may be used for the months when the day is given, but not when the month and year alone are given;
There is another set of abbreviations, known as the Dewey dates, as follows:
These may be used in tables and in other places where very great condensation is necessary, but not elsewhere.
In general, much greater abbreviation is permissible in the tables, notes, and other condensed matter than in the body of the text.
This form is used statistically, in enumerations, in tables, and the like.
The use of numerals and the spelling of numbers in full will be found treated at length in the Printer's Manual of Style . As the use of the numeral is in a sense an abbreviation a few general rules may properly be given here.
In case numerals are used, Egyptian Dynasties are always designated by Roman numerals. Writers on Egypt usually use this form:
When several such numbers occur close together, and in all statistical matter, use figures.
Treat all numbers in collected groups alike if possible, that is use either the long or the short form for all. If the largest contains three or more digits use figures for all.
Geographical names are ordinarily not abbreviated in text matter. The abbreviations in the subjoined lists are commonly recognized and may be used in lists, bibliographical matter, and elsewhere where condensation is desired.
UNITED STATES AND TERRITORIES
FOREIGN COUNTRIES
In text matter not of a technical character it is better not to abbreviate.
When railroad names or other long names are abbreviated, use no spaces between the letters.
in immediate connection with the name of an officer in the army or navy.
When it is part of the name of an organization.
When preceding the name of a ship.
The following is a list of the accepted abbreviations of the more common Christian names.
Alex. Alexander Fred. Frederick And. Andrew Geo. George Anth. Anthony Herbt. Herbert Ap. Appius Hos. Hosea Arch. Archibald Jas. James Aug. August, Augustus Jona. Jonathan Benj. Benjamin Jos. Joseph C. Caesar Josh. Joshua Caes. Aug. Caesar Augustus Matt. Matthew Cath. Catherine Nath. Nathaniel Chas. Charles Pet. Peter Dan. Daniel Phil. Philip, Philander Eben. Ebenezer Phile. Philemon Edm. Edmund Reg. Reginald Edw. Edward Richd. Richard Eliz. Elizabeth Robt. Robert Esd. Esdras Sam. Samuel Esth. Esther Theo. Theodore Ez. Ezra Thos. Thomas Ezek. Ezekiel Tim. Timothy Ferd. Ferdinand Wm. William Fran. Francis
When such names occur frequently, as in historical writing, they may be printed with Roman numerals without a period;
Other titles following a name are abbreviated in accordance with the following list.
The shorter names for book sizes are usually written out;
Abbreviate the common designations of weights and measures in the metric system, as well as other symbols of measurement in common use when following a numeral;
Authorities cited in footnotes should be specified in the following order:
Always abbreviate uniformly in the same book.
In abbreviated references to the Bible or to the plays of Shakespeare use Arabic figures prefixed to the name to indicate part of succession of the book, play, or letter.
Figures and letters used as references to footnotes do not take a period.
LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS
The following lists of abbreviations will be found useful.
SCRIPTURAL ABBREVIATIONS
Old Testament
Gen. Esth. Joel Exod. Job Amos Lev. Ps. Obad. Num. Prov. Jonah Deut. Eccles. Mic. Josh. Song of Sol. Nah. Judg. Hab. Ruth Isa. Zeph. I and II Sam. Jer. Hag. I and II Kings Lam. Zech. I and II Chron. Ezek. Mal. Ezra Dan. Neh. Hos.
New Testament
Apocrypha
COMMERCIAL ABBREVIATIONS
MISCELLANEOUS ABBREVIATIONS
SIGNS
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page