Abbreviation

As a shortcut (also abbreviated form ) the opposite of the original length shortened form of representation of a word or word group is called.

• 5.1 Abbreviations in the legal field
• 5.2 Abbreviations used in the documentation

Term

The abbreviations are acronyms, acronyms, initial words, letters, chains and shortcuts. What abbreviates is also socially determined. To appear abbreviations such as AB for answering machine or HP for homepage as regional, national or limited by the type of text. There are also shortcuts that are used only in a specific environment, such as classified ads in newspapers or in a field. Abbreviations are writing and reading facilities, they are faster and more focused communication. In addition, abbreviations are also used to save space (eg in printed encyclopedias ). In non-literary German handling the word abbreviation also describes an abbreviated way.

The word " abbreviation" is abbreviated by the abbreviation " abbr ". Abbreviations arise mostly in written language and sometimes find inclusion in the vernacular (for example, NATO, EU, UN).

History of Abbreviation

Even the ancient inscriptions were rich in abbreviations. In the Roman epigraphy prevailed a system in which the words were shortened to the first letter. A double letter indicated the plural. The Secretary of Cicero, Tiro, developed a shorthand ( Tironian notes). In books cuts were restrained needed. A small superscript dash for a failed final M and dash dot-like character of B ( for bus ) and Q ( for - QUE ) were the only common abbreviations. In the 2nd century AD abbreviations are used for sacred terms, nouns, for example, so-called sacra ds for deus. Especially in legal texts several short notations are used until the 6th century - inflation, the 535 is countered by a formal ban this so-called " notae iuris ".

The conventions for abbreviations in medieval manuscripts lead in some cases the ancient principles common nomina sacra and some of the " tironischen notes " continued to expand the use and perform various additional short spellings, some of which are only used by single or a few writers. It is known as the over -written stroke that has kept doubling as characters of m in the German cursive until the 20th century. (For details on medieval abbreviations them in the main article.) Particularly rich was the cut-off system with the high demand books in the late medieval universities. Although significantly reduced when printing with movable type the abbreviation demand, the type set of the Gutenberg Bible still has many shortcut characters.

Besides these more technical abbreviations abbreviations with initials in social or political life were rare. The Association for the Defence of anti-Semitism were called shortly the Defence Club, the National Liberal Party not about NLP, but Nat. Lib yet Konrad Adenauer, born in 1876, cut down in his notes, the FDP and the SPD with Dem with Soz. Dem from. Well, it was common to abbreviate first names that could often easily decipher because of the small selection: Frd. for Friedrich, John Johann etc.

In the 20th century there was an abundance of abbreviations, which already struck his contemporaries. Especially large bureaucratic organizations (the UN, the SED state, public administrations in general, the military, big business, etc.) or have extensive abbreviation systems in use. Since the reports of the Stasi should not read any so simple, they used up to 2600 abbreviations. Also in different national languages ​​and political systems preference for abbreviations, for example, in the Russian language, Russian words and official designations are there often very long in the uncut form. Abbreviations put, as well as written language, convention systems advance so that they are understood by the group concerned them.

Information-theoretic aspects of the abbreviation

If a "shortcut " with three characters can convey the same information as twenty-two ( eg DNS for deoxyribonucleic acid), then it can be information-theoretically speaking of a data reduction or compression ( such as " compression " and from the storage of digital photos ( as JPG) or music (such as MP3) is known).

Abbreviations thus throw a bright light on the compressive effect of the symbolic activity that has not yet been recognized and described in linguistics (symbol = Zusammengehäuftes = Compressed ). Each data compression based on a mathematical method (algorithm). From this fact it can be a mathematically describable basis, an algorithm also suspect the existence of language abbreviations. The "shortcut" characterized by extreme data compression can therefore be considered as a bridge from linguistics to mathematics that establishes the way to the ( mathematical ) understanding of the algorithmic basis of symbolic activities.

Spelling and pronunciation

Whether an abbreviation is written with or without point, depends in principle on whether it is also extremely abbreviated. Current rules and recommendations on the spelling found for example in the new German spelling reform of 1996 and DIN 5008th

Abbreviations without a period and space

If an abbreviation pronounced abbreviated, it is always written without a dot, and always without spaces.

Examples: ARD, Inc., the Criminal Code, Highway Code, USSR, UNHCR

Units are spoken as a word, but abbreviated without point. However ( Note the space between measure and unity in order to improve readability. In this space it should to the extent possible by a narrow non-breaking space ( " no-break space" ) to prevent a line break at the site. )

Example: 10 m (pronounced " 10 meters " )

In the Bundeswehr, the Austrian Army, the Swiss army and civil protection and disaster relief abbreviations are always written without a dot.

Examples ( Switzerland ): Lt ( Lieutenant ), Flösch (fire extinguishers ), Capt ( captain ), Stgw ( assault rifle, however, Austria: StG ), Spz ( IFV ) ...

(: ( Westphalia ) in the example) and the abbreviation of the Bahnhofsart (in the example: Hbf ) For station names, the addition in brackets is written without a dot.

Examples: Münster ( Westphalia ) Hbf, Brake ( b Bielefeld), Herborn ( Dillkr )

Abbreviations with a period and space

Abbreviations that are not very abbreviated, are generally abbreviated with dots. If the abbreviation is in several parts, to have spaces between the components:

Examples: Dr., for example, that is, typically, sat. Est

Exceptions are the popular " etc. " is that, instead of actually correct " and c. " has prevailed, as well as the Latin variant " and so on " as an abbreviation for" etc. "or " & c. " for" et cetera "and" ff " for" following pages ". Other exceptions form " means essentially " for " as much as " and (especially in logic ) " iff. " For " if and only if ".

Line breaks within these abbreviations should also be avoided, which can be best realized in text processing with a nonbreaking space. If available, a narrower gap should be set as the one used between normal words, a so-called narrow spaces, which also prevents a line break at this point. In the HTML code for a nonbreaking space, for a narrow non-breaking space is. Instead, for example, for " such as " or, for example, for " such B. " So one writes, for example, for " such B. " Because the narrow non-breaking space is not displayed correctly by many older browsers, the use of, for example, recommends for " such B. ".

Abbreviations with point, but without spaces

The abbreviation manner with points, but without spaces, is obsolete. But there are three special cases in which this continues to be permissible:

Abbreviations with dot at the end of a sentence

Two dots ".. " at the end of a sentence are not allowed. The last point of an abbreviation is fused to the period at the end of a sentence. However, the last point of a shortcut does not fuse with other punctuation marks as the point.

Examples:

• A rainbow has the colors blue, purple, red, etc. These are the spectral colors.
• Spectral colors are the colors blue, purple, red, etc.!

Lower case abbreviations

In particular, in Latin phrases that are abbreviated, is abbreviated point, although the abbreviations are often spoken abbreviated. They are usually written in lower case and would therefore no points not readily recognizable as abbreviations.

Examples: c. t. , P. t. (see academic time)

Mixing abbreviation ways

The combination of abbreviations with and without point is easily possible.

Examples: Gebäudereinigungsges. mbH

Plural formation and declination

The declination of abbreviations is unusual, but possible in principle. For abbreviations with point is distinguished: (. Eg Hr) ends it ( Undeclined ) with the last letter of the full form, then the Deklinationsendung directly appended (eg, M. ( = Mr ) ), otherwise the ending behind the point added ( eg century is to Jh.e ( = ages )), in abbreviations without the ending point is simply appended (eg the BGBs ). The same rules apply for the formation of the female form (eg Prof.in ( = professor ) ).

The plural of abbreviations is still occasionally expressed by a letter doubling (eg Jgg ( = grades ), ff ( = following ) ). Incidentally, the plural, unless the abbreviation is not used as it is always formed by an attached s (eg CDs), even if the full form of another plural ending has (eg PLCs, cars). The only exceptions are a few (mostly technical language ) abbreviations that are never used in spoken language (eg RAe ( = lawyers) ). A special plural form, the abbreviation Drs ( doctors = ) dar. Especially in female abbreviations recommend the use of the plural -s in order to avoid confusion with the singular (eg GmbH / LLCs ).

Writing style

Excessive use of abbreviations in normal reading texts (as opposed to technical or reference texts ) is considered poor writing style. This is called " Aküfi " Abkürzungsfimmel, parody end. For a better understanding, authors should use the prescribed terms. Are abbreviations for phrases such as " u a "or for filler words, these can be completely avoided with elegant formulation.

Abbreviations in individual subject areas

Abbreviations in the legal field

Be common practice in law, regulations and the like in order to save space and thus sides, often written without abbreviations period and space and also with Binnenversalien:

Examples: UStG ( Value Added Tax Act ), but Federal Law Gazette ( Federal Law Gazette )

In some legal commentaries, for example in Palandt, this method is radically expanded:

Examples: DarlN ( for Borrower ), ZusHang ( for context ), NebenBest ( for collateral clause )

This abbreviation manner serves the specific needs of these works. The Palandt has a circumference of about three thousand pages in the small print and is on the border of handling.

Some of these abbreviations are also used outside of comments in legal day. For example: the sense (in terms of ), hM ( prevailing opinion ), aA ( other view).

Abbreviations in the documentation

Special encyclopedias and handbooks have their own acronym systems to save space and to support the overview. It is usual to explain those not commonly used abbreviations usually at the end or beginning of the book with the help of abbreviations.

Word types

The generic term abbreviation drop the word types:

• Acronym: arisen from letters of several words or parts of words more word that can be pronounced as a separate word.
• Letter string: not pronounceable as a word character string.
• Initial word formed from the initial letters of several words word.
• Symbol: a fixed sequence of letters as identification, for example ticker symbol and a plurality of codes; in the shorthand is an abbreviation, a fixed and highly abbreviated abbreviation, mostly in the form of a character
• Short word: arisen by abbreviating or omitting parts of words word.
• Syllable word, such as Persil or Buga

Acronyms and initial words belong to the preamble short words, while the letters chains are only covered by the general term abbreviations.