Bolanle Elizabeth Arokoyo
Morphology Lecture Series XIV
Acronyms are words formed from the initials of several words.
Word acronyms and spelling acronyms are the two types of acronyms attested in some languages.
The words are pronounced as a single word and pronounced as the spelling indicates in the case of word acronyms.
For example:
NEPA: National Electric Power Authority
WAEC: West African Examination Council
WASC: West African School Certificate
ECOWAS: Economic Community of West African States
JAMB: Joint Admission Matriculation Board
NECO: National Examination Council
LASER: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
LISA: Linguistics Students Association
LAN: Linguistics Association of Nigeria
YSAN: Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria
Spelling acronyms are pronounced as a sequence of the initial alphabets of the words.
They are not pronounced as words but as sequence of alphabets. For example:
IQ: Intelligence Quotient
FYI: For Your Information
MC: Master of Ceremonies
UFO: Unidentified Flying Object
NUC: National University Commission
NYSC: National Youth Service Corps
CD: Compact Disc
VCR: Video Cassette Recorder
PC: Personal Computer
AU: African Union
EU: European Union
OAU: Organization of African Unity
ATM: Automated Teller Machine
With the presence of the internet making the social media a part of our lives, the importance of the language of the internet cannot be overemphasized as it has drastically increased our words through different word formation processes.
Most of the users of the social media platforms like E-mails, Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, Imo, Snapchat, 2go, etc. use acronyms and abreviations to pass their messages via chatting and short messages.
Text messages and Twitter have limited number of characters that can be used. Some of these are exemplified below.
BAE: Before Anyone Else
LOL: Laughing out Loud
YAM: Yet another Meeting
2moro: Tomorrow
ASAP: As Soon as Possible
B3: Blah Blah Blah
CTN: Cannot Talk Now
CYT: See You Tomorrow
BRB: Be Right Back
TTC: Trying to Conceive
GTC: Going to Conceive
POV: Point of View
YMMD: You Made My Day
ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
OOMF: One Of My Friends
BFF: Best Friend Forever
DYE: Down To Earth
Some of them are pronounced as spelt or as a single word. There are some that could have more than one meaning, so there is the need for an understanding of the acronyms in order for communication to take place.
Add your own to the list.
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
Do not allow some of these acronyms and abbreviations get into your formal writing.
a. Except from Arokoyo (2017).
b. Our next lecture is on Borrowing. See Compounding also.
Arokoyo, Bolanle Elizabeth. (2017). Unlocking Morphology. Ilorin: Chridamel Books.
The use of acronyms in our present dispensation as a means of informal writing/communication cannot be over emphasized most especially, on our social media platforms as aforementioned https://bit.ly/2AjSwnw above by Prof.
For more than a decade now, there have been series of debates on how acronyms had affected the writing culture of the Jet age generation. For indeed, it has eaten deep just like the cankerworms and locusts, into our present day writing culture.
I am not so certain but, I strongly believe that it has been accepted by majority, as a quick or fastest means of communication. That is why I so much appreciate the part in which Prof. sounded a note of ⚠WARNING⚠
“Do not allow some of these acronyms and abbreviations get into your formal writing”
Prof., Thanks so much for this teaching because, I can vividly remember back then in my year one at the university. Majority of my course mates failed and carry over some courses that they felt they would’ve at minimum credited on the ground of using acronyms and abbreviations. Indeed, I must say that, I am a testament to the penalty and demerits of using acronyms and abbreviations in formal writing.
Prof., my question for the day goes thus: Are there differences between Acronym and Abbreviation?
If there are, I want you to educate me and throw more light on the topic “Abbreviation”.
Thanks 🙏🏽
They are both shortened forms of words. An abbreviation is used to represent the whole e.g. Mr. & Mrs. An acronym is used initial letters to form a word.
Acronym is actually a type of abbreviation.
There are abbreviations and acronyms that are allowed in formal writing but not all especially those new ones. Even when they are used in writings, you must provide the full meaning at the first usage.
And, yes, so many students have been penalized for abbreviations in exams and other formal writing.
🤔
“Abbreviation is used to represent the whole e.g Prof. for Professor, Dr. for Doctor etc…”
While,
“Acronym is the use of initial letters to form a word”
Thanks 🙏🏽 for the insight Prof.
This is an eye opener. Great article
Thank you sir.
🤔
“Abbreviation is used to represent the whole e.g Prof. for Professor, Dr. for Doctor etc…”
While,
“Acronym is the use of initial letters to form a word”
Thanks 🙏🏽 for the insight Prof.
Thank you.