List of Latin abbreviations: Difference between revisions
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{{for|shorthand marks in Latin inscription and manuscripts|Scribal abbreviation}} |
{{for|shorthand marks in Latin inscription and manuscripts|Scribal abbreviation}} |
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This is a '''list of common |
This is a '''list of common Latin abbreviations'''. Nearly all the abbreviations below have been adopted by [[Modern English]]. However, with some exceptions (for example, ''versus'' or ''[[modus operandi]]''), most of the [[Latin]] referent words and phrases are perceived as foreign to English. In a few cases, English referents have replaced the original Latin ones (e.g., "[[rest in peace]]" for RIP and "[[postscript]]" for PS). |
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Latin was once the universal academic language in Europe. From the 18th century, authors started using their mother tongues to write books, papers or proceedings. Even when Latin fell out of use, many Latin [[abbreviation]]s continued to be used due to their precise simplicity and Latin's status as a learned language.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} |
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== List of common abbreviations == |
== List of common abbreviations == |
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All abbreviations are given with [[full stops]], although, in most situations, these are omitted or included as a personal preference. |
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{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |
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! scope="col" | usage and notes |
! scope="col" | usage and notes |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|anno Domini}} |
| {{Anchor|anno Domini}}AD |
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| ''[[anno Domini]]'' |
| ''[[anno Domini]]'' |
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| "in the year of the Lord" |
| "in the year of the Lord" |
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| Used to label or number years in the [[Julian calendar|Julian]] and [[Gregorian calendar]]s. The '' |
| Used to label or number years in the [[Julian calendar|Julian]] and [[Gregorian calendar]]s. The ''AD'' or the Christian [[calendar era]] is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the [[annunciation|conception]] or [[Nativity of Jesus|birth]] of [[Jesus of Nazareth]], with ''AD'' counting years after the start of this [[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]], and ''BC'' counting years before the start of the epoch.<br/>Example: "The United States Civil War began in ''AD'' 1861." |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|ad interim}} |
| {{Anchor|ad interim}}a.i. |
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| ''ad interim'' |
| ''ad interim'' |
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| "temporarily" |
| "temporarily" |
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| Used on the [[twelve-hour clock]] to indicate times during the morning.<br/>Example: "We will meet the mayor at 10:00 ''a.m.''" (10:00 in 24-hour clock) |
| Used on the [[twelve-hour clock]] to indicate times during the morning.<br/>Example: "We will meet the mayor at 10:00 ''a.m.''" (10:00 in 24-hour clock) |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|circa}}ca./c. |
| {{Anchor|circa}}ca.<br />c. |
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| ''[[Wiktionary:circa|circa]]'' |
| ''[[Wiktionary:circa|circa]]'' |
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| "around", "about", "approximately"<ref name=All_Acronyms/><ref name=Maurer/> |
| "around", "about", "approximately"<ref name=All_Acronyms/><ref name=Maurer/> |
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| ''Confer'' is an imperative form of the Latin verb ''conferre''.<ref name=Maurer/> Used interchangeably with "cp." in citations indicating the reader should compare a statement with that from the cited source. It is also widely used as an abbreviation for "''see''", although some styles recommend against such use.<br/>Example: "These results were similar to those obtained using different techniques (''cf.'' Wilson, 1999 and Ansmann, 1992)." |
| ''Confer'' is an imperative form of the Latin verb ''conferre''.<ref name=Maurer/> Used interchangeably with "cp." in citations indicating the reader should compare a statement with that from the cited source. It is also widely used as an abbreviation for "''see''", although some styles recommend against such use.<br/>Example: "These results were similar to those obtained using different techniques (''cf.'' Wilson, 1999 and Ansmann, 1992)." |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|ceteris paribus}} |
| {{Anchor|ceteris paribus}}CP |
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| ''[[ceteris paribus]]'' |
| ''[[ceteris paribus]]'' |
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| "other things being equal" |
| "other things being equal" |
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| Commonly used in economics, ''ceteris paribus'' allows for supply and demand models to reflect specific variables. If one assumes that the only thing changing is, say, the price of wheat, then demand and supply will both be affected appropriately. While this is simplification of actual dynamic market models, it makes learning economic theory easier. |
| Commonly used in economics, ''ceteris paribus'' allows for supply and demand models to reflect specific variables. If one assumes that the only thing changing is, say, the price of wheat, then demand and supply will both be affected appropriately. While this is simplification of actual dynamic market models, it makes learning economic theory easier. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|curriculum vitae}} |
| {{Anchor|curriculum vitae}}CV |
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| ''[[curriculum vitae]]'' |
| ''[[curriculum vitae]]'' |
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| "course of life" |
| "course of life" |
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| A document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. The exact usage of the term varies between British English and American English. The singular form is never ''vita''. ''Curriculum'' is already singular, ''vitae'' is genitive from ''vita'', i.e., "of life", despite the plural-appearing ''vitae'' modifier. The true plural is ''curricula vitarum''. |
| A document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. The exact usage of the term varies between British English and American English. The singular form is never ''vita''. ''Curriculum'' is already singular, ''vitae'' is genitive from ''vita'', i.e., "of life", despite the plural-appearing ''vitae'' modifier. The true plural is ''curricula vitae''.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://publikationen.badw.de/de/000924307 |title=Thesaurus Linguae Latinae |year= |edition=1906-09 edition, digitized by Thesaurus Linguae Latinae |volume=IV |pages=1506 |quote=iuventuti prolixa vitae [curricul]a data sunt (attributed to [[Marcus Cornelius Fronto]])}}</ref><!-- The plural in most intended usage is not 'curriculum vitarum' because 'vitarum', as a genitive of content here, suggests each 'curriculum' is 'of' multiple lives. --> |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|centum weight}}cwt. |
| {{Anchor|centum weight}}cwt. |
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| This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
| This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor| |
| {{Anchor|Dei gratia}}DG |
||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| ''[[Deo volente]]'' |
| ''[[Deo volente]]'' |
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| "God willing" |
| "God willing" |
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| |
| |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|eadem}}ead. |
| {{Anchor|eadem}}ead. |
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| {{Anchor|exempli gratia}}e.g. |
| {{Anchor|exempli gratia}}e.g. |
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| ''[[exempli gratia]]'' |
| ''[[exempli gratia]]'' |
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| "for example", "for instance"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| "for example", "for instance",<ref name=US_GPO_style/> "'''e'''xample '''g'''iven" (mnemonic) |
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| Introduces an example (as opposed to an explanation): "The shipping company instituted a surcharge on any items weighing over a ton; ''e.g.'', a car or truck." |
| Introduces an example (as opposed to an explanation): "The shipping company instituted a surcharge on any items weighing over a ton; ''e.g.'', a car or truck." |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|id est}}i.e. |
| {{Anchor|id est}}i.e. |
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| ''[[id est]]'' |
| ''[[id est]]'' |
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| "that is", "in other words"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| "that is", "in other words",<ref name=US_GPO_style/> "'''i'''s '''e'''quivalent" (mnemonic) |
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| Introduces an explanation (as opposed to an example): "For reasons not fully understood there is only a minor PSI contribution to the variable fluorescence emission of chloroplasts (Dau, 1994), ''i.e.'', the PSI fluorescence appears to be independent from the state of its reaction centre (Butler, 1978)."<br/>See also the note for ''sc.'' |
| Introduces an explanation (as opposed to an example): "For reasons not fully understood there is only a minor PSI contribution to the variable fluorescence emission of chloroplasts (Dau, 1994), ''i.e.'', the PSI fluorescence appears to be independent from the state of its reaction centre (Butler, 1978)."<br/>See also the note for ''sc.'' |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|Juris Doctor}} |
| {{Anchor|Juris Doctor}}JD |
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| ''[[Juris Doctor]]'' |
| ''[[Juris Doctor]]'' |
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| "doctor of law" |
| "doctor of law" |
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| Used to indicate the [[pound (mass)|pound]] (unit of mass).<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| Used to indicate the [[pound (mass)|pound]] (unit of mass).<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|Legum Baccalaureus}} |
| {{Anchor|Legum Baccalaureus}}LLB |
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| ''Legum Baccalaureus'' |
| ''Legum Baccalaureus'' |
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| "[[Bachelor of Laws]]" |
| "[[Bachelor of Laws]]" |
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| The "LL |
| The "LL" of the abbreviation for the degree is from the genitive plural ''legum'' (singular: ''lex'' or ''legis'', for law), thus "LLB" stands for Legum Baccalaureus in Latin. Where periods are used, it is "LL.B." In the United States it was sometimes erroneously called "Bachelor of Legal Letters" to account for the double "L" (and therefore sometimes wrongly abbreviated as "L.L.B."). |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor| |
| {{Anchor|loco citato}}loc. cit. |
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| ''[[Loc. cit.|loco citato]]'' |
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| "(in) the place cited" |
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| Means in the same place (i.e., page or section) in an article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It differs from "op. cit." in that the latter may refer to a different page or section in the previously cited work. |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| ''Magister Artium'' |
| ''Magister Artium'' |
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| "[[Master of Arts]]" |
| "[[Master of Arts]]" |
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| A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in fine art, humanities, social science or theology and can be either fully taught, research-based, or a combination of the two. |
| A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in fine art, humanities, social science or theology and can be either fully taught, research-based, or a combination of the two. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|modus operandi}} |
| {{Anchor|modus operandi}}MO |
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| ''[[modus operandi]]'' |
| ''[[modus operandi]]'' |
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| "method of operating" |
| "method of operating" |
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| Can refer to one's body of business practices. Also, in [[criminology]], to refer to a criminal's method of operation. |
| Can refer to one's body of business practices. Also, in [[criminology]], to refer to a criminal's method of operation. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|nota bene}} |
| {{Anchor|nota bene}}NB |
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| ''[[nota bene]]'' (singular), ''notate bene'' (plural) |
| ''[[nota bene]]'' (singular), ''notate bene'' (plural) |
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| "note well" |
| "note well" |
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| Some people use "Note" for the same purpose.<ref name=US_GPO_style/> Usually written with [[majuscule]] (upper case, or capital) letters.<br/>Example: "'' |
| Some people use "Note" for the same purpose.<ref name=US_GPO_style/> Usually written with [[majuscule]] (upper case, or capital) letters.<br/>Example: "''NB'': All the measurements have an accuracy of within 5% as they were calibrated according to the procedure described by Jackson (1989)." |
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|- |
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| {{Anchor|nemine contradicente}}nem. con. |
| {{Anchor|nemine contradicente}}nem. con. |
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| "with no one speaking against" |
| "with no one speaking against" |
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| The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. con." simply means that nobody voted against. Thus there may have been abstentions from the vote.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} |
| The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. con." simply means that nobody voted against. Thus there may have been abstentions from the vote.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} |
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⚫ | |||
| {{Anchor|numero}}no. |
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| ''[[numero sign|numero]]'' (singular), ''nos.'' (plural) |
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| "number" |
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| Used as a common abbreviation for "number" in all forms of writing. |
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|- |
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| {{Anchor|opere citato}}op. cit. |
| {{Anchor|opere citato}}op. cit. |
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| Means in the same article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It is most often used in [[citation]]s in a similar way to "ibid", though "ibid" would usually be followed by a [[page number]]. |
| Means in the same article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It is most often used in [[citation]]s in a similar way to "ibid", though "ibid" would usually be followed by a [[page number]]. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|orthographiae variae}} |
| {{Anchor|orthographiae variae}}OV |
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| ''orthographiae variae'' |
| ''orthographiae variae'' |
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| "various spellings" |
| "various spellings" |
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| Used in historical research where spellings of names varied, such as genealogy tables and ancestry charts, for example when MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are used by different members of the same family, or even by the same person at different times (before spellings were standardized). See also [[Orthographical variant]]. |
| Used in historical research where spellings of names varied, such as genealogy tables and ancestry charts, for example when MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are used by different members of the same family, or even by the same person at different times (before spellings were standardized). See also [[Orthographical variant]]. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|per annum}} |
| {{Anchor|per annum}}p.a. |
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| ''[[per annum]]'' |
| ''[[per annum]]'' |
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| "through a year" |
| "through a year" |
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| Commonly "percent" in [[American English]].<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| Commonly "percent" in [[American English]].<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|Philosophiae Doctor}} |
| {{Anchor|Philosophiae Doctor}}PhD |
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| ''Philosophiae Doctor'' |
| ''Philosophiae Doctor'' |
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| "[[Doctor of Philosophy]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Philosophy]]" |
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| Where periods are used, it is "Ph.D." |
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⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|Post Meridiem}}p.m. |
| {{Anchor|Post Meridiem}}p.m. |
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| Used on the [[twelve-hour clock]] to indicate times after 12 midday.<br/>Example: "We will meet the mayor at 2:00 ''p.m.''" (14:00 in 24-hour clock) |
| Used on the [[twelve-hour clock]] to indicate times after 12 midday.<br/>Example: "We will meet the mayor at 2:00 ''p.m.''" (14:00 in 24-hour clock) |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|mortem auctoris}} |
| {{Anchor|mortem auctoris}}p.m.a. |
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| ''[[post mortem auctoris]]'' |
| ''[[post mortem auctoris]]'' |
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| "after the author's death" |
| "after the author's death" |
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| |
| |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|per procurationem}} |
| {{Anchor|per procurationem}}p.p.<br/>per pro. |
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| ''[[per procurationem]]'' |
| ''[[per procurationem]]'' |
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| "through the agency of" |
| "through the agency of" |
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| |
| |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|pro re nata}} |
| {{Anchor|pro re nata}}PRN |
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| ''[[pro re nata]]'' |
| ''[[pro re nata]]'' |
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| "for the thing born" |
| "for the thing born" |
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| As used in standard medical jargon, '' |
| As used in standard medical jargon, ''PRN'' is understood to mean "as needed". This reading of the abbreviation implies that the delivery of the prescription (by a suitable person, following a medications protocol) is done in a reactive, passive way, e.g., "when that happens, do this". A more literal translation of the Latin is "before a thing is born", which is an instruction to act pro-actively, e.g., "before that happens, do this". A ''PRN'' medication delivery is therefore properly done when a physician judges that it should be done, in order to prevent a specified problem from occurring. Oversimplifying, a patient's breakfast could be written as a ''PRN'' prescription: give this breakfast to that patient, to prevent that patient from experiencing hunger. |
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|- |
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| {{Anchor|pro tempore}}pro tem. |
| {{Anchor|pro tempore}}pro tem. |
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| |
| |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|post scriptum}} |
| {{Anchor|post scriptum}}PS |
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| ''post scriptum'' |
| ''post scriptum'' |
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| "after what has been written", "[[postscript]]" |
| "after what has been written", "[[postscript]]" |
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| Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter.<br/>Example (in a letter format): "Sincerely, John Smith. '' |
| Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter.<br/>Example (in a letter format): "Sincerely, John Smith. ''PS'' Tell mother I say hello!" |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|post post scriptum}} |
| {{Anchor|post post scriptum}}PPS |
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| ''post post scriptum'' |
| ''post post scriptum'' |
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| "post-postscript" |
| "post-postscript" |
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| Used to indicate additions after a postscript. Sometimes extended to comical length with '' |
| Used to indicate additions after a postscript. Sometimes extended to comical length with ''PPPS'', ''PPPPS'', and so on. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|quaque die}} |
| {{Anchor|quaque die}}q.d. |
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| ''[[quaque die]]'' |
| ''[[quaque die]]'' |
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| "every day" |
| "every day" |
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| Used on [[Medical prescription|prescription]]s to indicate the medicine should be taken daily. |
| Used on [[Medical prescription|prescription]]s to indicate the medicine should be taken daily. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|quod erat demonstrandum}}[[Q.E.D.]] |
| {{Anchor|quod erat demonstrandum}}[[Q.E.D.|QED]] |
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| ''quod erat demonstrandum'' |
| ''quod erat demonstrandum'' |
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| "that which was to be demonstrated"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| "that which was to be demonstrated"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
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| Cited in many texts at the end of a [[mathematical proof]].<br/>Example: "At the end of the long proof, the professor exclaimed ' |
| Cited in many texts at the end of a [[mathematical proof]].<br/>Example: "At the end of the long proof, the professor exclaimed {{'}}''QED''!{{'"}} |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|quod vide}}q.v.<br>qq.v. |
| {{Anchor|quod vide}}q.v.<br>qq.v. |
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| Often abbreviated as "r." followed by the dates during which the king or queen reigned/ruled, as opposed to the monarch's dates of birth and death. Often used parenthetically after the monarch's name. |
| Often abbreviated as "r." followed by the dates during which the king or queen reigned/ruled, as opposed to the monarch's dates of birth and death. Often used parenthetically after the monarch's name. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|requiescat in pace}} |
| {{Anchor|requiescat in pace}}RIP |
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| ''requiescat in pace, requiescant in pace'' |
| ''requiescat in pace, requiescant in pace'' |
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| "may he/she [[rest in peace]]", "may they rest in peace" |
| "may he/she [[rest in peace]]", "may they rest in peace" |
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| Used as a short [[prayer]] for a dead person, frequently found on [[tombstones]]. This prayer's English equivalent would be ''rest in peace''.<br/>Example: "'' |
| Used as a short [[prayer]] for a dead person, frequently found on [[tombstones]]. This prayer's English equivalent would be ''rest in peace''.<br/>Example: "''RIP'', good grandmother." |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|sensu amplo}} |
| rowspan="2" | {{Anchor|sensu amplo}}{{Anchor|sine anno}}s.a. |
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| ''[[sensu]] amplo'' |
| ''[[sensu]] amplo'' |
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| "in a relaxed, generous (or 'ample') sense" |
| "in a relaxed, generous (or 'ample') sense" |
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| |
| |
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⚫ | |||
| ''sine anno'' |
|||
| "without year of publication" |
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| Commonly used in [[bibliography]]. |
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|- |
|- |
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| sc.<br/>scil. |
| sc.<br/>scil. |
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| ''Sc.'' provides a parenthetic clarification, removes an ambiguity, or supplies a word omitted in preceding text, while ''viz.'' is usually used to elaborate or detail text which precedes it. ''Sc.'' and ''viz.'' are not to be confused with ''i.e.'' (''id est''), equivalent to "that is". Their meanings are similar, but there is a distinction which should be observed: ''sc.'' and ''viz.'' introduce a clarification, while ''i.e.'' introduces an equivalence. |
| ''Sc.'' provides a parenthetic clarification, removes an ambiguity, or supplies a word omitted in preceding text, while ''viz.'' is usually used to elaborate or detail text which precedes it. ''Sc.'' and ''viz.'' are not to be confused with ''i.e.'' (''id est''), equivalent to "that is". Their meanings are similar, but there is a distinction which should be observed: ''sc.'' and ''viz.'' introduce a clarification, while ''i.e.'' introduces an equivalence. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor| |
| {{Anchor|sine data}}s.d. |
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| ''sine data'' |
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| "without date of publication" |
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| Commonly used in [[bibliography]]. |
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⚫ | |||
| rowspan="2" | {{Anchor|sensu lato}}{{Anchor|sine loco}}s.l. |
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| ''sensu lato'' |
| ''sensu lato'' |
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| "in the wide or broad sense" |
| "in the wide or broad sense" |
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| Example: "[[New Age]] ''s.l.'' has a strong American flavor influenced by Californian counterculture." |
| Example: "[[New Age]] ''s.l.'' has a strong American flavor influenced by Californian counterculture." |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''sine loco'' |
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⚫ | |||
| "without place of publication" |
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| Commonly used in [[bibliography]]. |
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⚫ | |||
| {{Anchor|sensu stricto}}s.s. |
|||
| ''sensu stricto'' |
| ''sensu stricto'' |
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| "in the strict sense" |
| "in the strict sense" |
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| Example: "[[New Age]] ''s.s.'' refers to a spectrum of alternative communities in Europe and the United States in the 1970s." |
| Example: "[[New Age]] ''s.s.'' refers to a spectrum of alternative communities in Europe and the United States in the 1970s." |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|si opus sit}} |
| {{Anchor|si opus sit}}SOS |
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| ''si opus sit'' |
| ''si opus sit'' |
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| "if there is need", "if occasion require", "if necessary"<ref name=Hughes/> |
| "if there is need", "if occasion require", "if necessary"<ref name=Hughes/> |
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| A prescription indication that the drug is to be administered only once. |
| A prescription indication that the drug is to be administered only once. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|sic |
| {{Anchor|sic}}[[sic]] |
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| ''sic |
| ''sic'' |
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| "thus |
| "thus" |
||
| |
| Used when quoting text that contains some form of mistake, to show that the mistake was in the original work and is not a misquotation. ''Sic'' is also often used to indicate surprise or incredulity, or maliciously, to draw attention to an author's mistake. |
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|- |
|- |
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| {{Anchor|statim}}stat. |
| {{Anchor|statim}}stat. |
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| ''[[wikt:versus|versus]]'' |
| ''[[wikt:versus|versus]]'' |
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| "against" |
| "against" |
||
| Sometimes is not abbreviated.<br/>Example: "The next football game will be the Knights ''vs.'' the Sea Eagles."<br/>English law uses ''v'' without a full stop (period), never ''vs'', and is read as ''against'' (in criminal cases) or ''and'' (in civil cases); for example, "R[egina] ''v'' Gadd" (a criminal case) is read as "The Crown against Gadd." In Scots Law, the ''v'' is read "against"; for example, "Donoghue ''v ''Stevenson" is pronounced "Donoghue against Stevenson." US law uses ''v.'' with a full stop (period), and is typically read as "v" or "versus". |
| Sometimes is not abbreviated.<br/>Example: "The next football game will be the Knights ''vs.'' the Sea Eagles."<br/>English law uses ''v'' without a full stop (period), never ''vs'', and is read as ''against'' (in criminal cases) or ''and'' (in civil cases); for example, "R[egina] ''v'' Gadd" (a criminal case) is read as "The Crown against Gadd." In Scots Law, the ''v'' is read "against"; for example, "Donoghue ''v ''Stevenson" is pronounced "Donoghue against Stevenson." US law usually uses ''v.'' with a full stop (period), and is typically read as "v" or "versus"; an exception is before the Supreme Court of the United States, which follows the English style on this point and does not include a full stop (period) after the "v".<ref>{{Cite book |title=Office of the Solicitor General Citation Manual |publisher=United States Department of Justice |pages=2}}</ref> |
||
|} |
|} |
||
== List of less |
== List of less-common abbreviations and usages == |
||
Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often. |
Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often. |
||
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |
||
|+ |
|+ Lesser-common Latin abbreviations and usages |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="col" | abbreviation or word |
! scope="col" | abbreviation or word |
||
Line 316: | Line 339: | ||
! scope="col" | usage and notes |
! scope="col" | usage and notes |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| AB |
||
| ''[[Artium Baccalaureus]]'' |
| ''[[Artium Baccalaureus]]'' |
||
| "[[Bachelor of Arts]]" |
| "[[Bachelor of Arts]]" |
||
Line 331: | Line 354: | ||
| Example: "She drew this artwork ''ad. nat. delt.''" |
| Example: "She drew this artwork ''ad. nat. delt.''" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| AMDG |
|||
| A.M.D.G. |
|||
| ''[[ad maiorem Dei gloriam]]'', ''[[ad majorem Dei gloriam]]'' |
| ''[[ad maiorem Dei gloriam]]'', ''[[ad majorem Dei gloriam]]'' |
||
| "for the greater glory of God" |
| "for the greater glory of God" |
||
| The [[motto]] of the [[Society of Jesus]]. |
| The [[motto]] of the [[Society of Jesus]]. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| An. Sal. |
| An. Sal.<br />AS |
||
| ''Anno Salutis'' |
| ''Anno Salutis'' |
||
| "the year of salvation" |
| "the year of salvation" |
||
| The year of Christ the Savior, similar to |
| The year of Christ the Savior, similar to AD. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| a.u. |
| a.u. |
||
| ''anno urbis'' |
| ''anno urbis'' |
||
| "the year of [[Rome|the city]]"<ref name=All_Acronyms/> |
| "the year of [[Rome|the city]]"<ref name=All_Acronyms/> |
||
| See '' |
| See ''AUC'' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| AUC |
||
| ''[[ab Urbe condita]]'', ''anno Urbis conditae'' |
| ''[[ab Urbe condita]]'', ''anno Urbis conditae'' |
||
| "from the foundation of [[Rome|the City]]"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| "from the foundation of [[Rome|the City]]"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
||
| Refers to the [[founding of Rome]], which occurred in [[750s BC|753 BC]] according to [[Livy]]'s count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems. Also ''anno Urbis conditae'' ( |
| Refers to the [[founding of Rome]], which occurred in [[750s BC|753 BC]] according to [[Livy]]'s count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems. Also ''anno Urbis conditae'' (AUC) ("in the year that the City [Rome] was founded"). For example, the year 2007 [[AD]] is the year 2761 ''ab Urbe condita'' (753 + 1 + 2007 = 2761); though, rigorously speaking, the year ''AUC'' begins on April 21, the birthday of Rome (i.e., the day that [[Romulus]] was traditionally believed to have founded the Eternal City). (The reason for adding 1 to 753 is that the Romans counted dates "inclusively," i.e., including both the first and the last day or year in the count.) |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| BA |
||
| |
| |
||
| |
| |
||
| see '' |
| see ''AB'' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Ben |
| Ben |
||
Line 371: | Line 394: | ||
| Abbreviation for ''Citizens'' (plural of [[citizen]]). Usually found in legal documents in [[Civil law (legal system)|Civil law]] countries. |
| Abbreviation for ''Citizens'' (plural of [[citizen]]). Usually found in legal documents in [[Civil law (legal system)|Civil law]] countries. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DD |
||
| ''Divinitatis Doctor'' |
| ''Divinitatis Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Divinity]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| "[[Doctor of Divinity]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DLit<br/>DLitt |
||
| ''Doctor Litterarum'' |
| ''Doctor Litterarum'' |
||
| "Doctor of Literature" or "[[Doctor of Letters]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| "Doctor of Literature" or "[[Doctor of Letters]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "D.Lit." or "D.Litt." |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DM |
||
| ''Doctor Medicinae'' |
| ''Doctor Medicinae'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Medicine]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| "[[Doctor of Medicine]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DMD |
||
| ''Dentae Medicinae Doctor'' |
| ''Dentae Medicinae Doctor'' |
||
| "Doctor of Dental Medicine" |
| "Doctor of Dental Medicine" |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DPhil |
||
| ''Doctor Philosophiæ'' |
| ''Doctor Philosophiæ'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Philosophy]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Philosophy]]" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "D.Phil." |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DSc |
||
| ''Doctor Scientiae'' |
| ''Doctor Scientiae'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Science]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Science]]" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "D.Sc." |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| DSP |
| DSP |
||
| ''decessit sine prole'' |
| ''decessit sine prole'' |
||
| "died without issue" |
| "died without issue" |
||
| Used in genealogy.<ref name=Latin_Abbr/><ref name=PBS_genealogy_DSP/> |
| Used in genealogy.<ref name=Latin_Abbr/><ref name=PBS_genealogy_DSP/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| DTh |
||
| ''Doctor Theologiae'' |
| ''Doctor Theologiae'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Theology]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Theology]]" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "D.Th." |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| EdD |
||
| ''Educationae Doctor'' |
| ''Educationae Doctor'' |
||
| "Doctor of Education" |
| "Doctor of Education" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "Ed.D." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| et seq.<br/>et seqq.<br/>et sequa. |
| et seq.<br/>et seqq.<br/>et sequa. |
||
Line 436: | Line 459: | ||
| This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
| This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| FD<br/>Fid. Def. |
||
| ''[[fidei defensor]]'' |
| ''[[fidei defensor]]'' |
||
| "defender of the faith" |
| "defender of the faith" |
||
| A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British coins. |
| A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British coins. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| INDFSSA |
|||
| I.N.D.F.S.S.A. |
|||
| ''In Nomine Dei/Domini Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen'' |
| ''In Nomine Dei/Domini Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen'' |
||
| "In the name of the Lord, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "In the name of the Lord, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
Line 461: | Line 484: | ||
| Among other people, or among other legal entities. |
| Among other people, or among other legal entities. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| JSD |
||
| ''Juridicae Scientiae Doctor'' |
| ''Juridicae Scientiae Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Juridical Science]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Juridical Science]]" |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| LitD<br/>LittD |
||
| ''Litterarum Doctor'' |
| ''Litterarum Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Literature]]" or "Doctor of Letters"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| "[[Doctor of Literature]]" or "Doctor of Letters"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "Lit.D." or "Litt.D." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| LLD |
||
| ''Legum Doctor'' |
| ''Legum Doctor'' |
||
| "Doctor of Laws" |
| "Doctor of Laws" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "LL.D." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| LLM |
||
| ''Legum Magister'' |
| ''Legum Magister'' |
||
| "Master of Laws" |
| "Master of Laws" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "LL.M." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| loq. |
| loq. |
||
Line 486: | Line 509: | ||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| MD |
||
| ''Medicinae Doctor'' |
| ''Medicinae Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Medicine]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
| "[[Doctor of Medicine]]"<ref name=Latin_Abbr/> |
||
Line 496: | Line 519: | ||
| Used in many countries to acknowledge that a comparison being made requires certain obvious alterations, which are left unstated. It is not to be confused with the similar ''ceteris paribus'', which excludes any changes other than those explicitly mentioned. |
| Used in many countries to acknowledge that a comparison being made requires certain obvious alterations, which are left unstated. It is not to be confused with the similar ''ceteris paribus'', which excludes any changes other than those explicitly mentioned. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| NIA |
||
| ''In Nomine Iesus Amen'' |
| ''In Nomine Iesus Amen'' |
||
| "In the name of Jesus Amen"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "In the name of Jesus Amen"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
Line 511: | Line 534: | ||
| Used in Latin descriptions of organisms, particularly plants, to indicate that a name is due to the author or authors. |
| Used in Latin descriptions of organisms, particularly plants, to indicate that a name is due to the author or authors. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| rowspan="2" | OD |
|||
| O.D. |
|||
| ''oculus dexter'' |
| ''oculus dexter'' |
||
| "the right eye" |
| "the right eye" |
||
| Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
| Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| O.D. |
|||
| ''Optometriae Doctor'' |
| ''Optometriae Doctor'' |
||
| "Doctor of Optometry" |
| "Doctor of Optometry" |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| OHSS |
|||
| O.H.S.S. |
|||
| ''Ossa hic sita sunt'' |
| ''Ossa hic sita sunt'' |
||
| "here lie the bones" |
| "here lie the bones" |
||
| Used on sepulchers and gravestones. |
| Used on sepulchers and gravestones. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| OS |
||
| ''oculus sinister'' |
| ''oculus sinister'' |
||
| "the left eye" |
| "the left eye" |
||
| Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
| Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| OU |
||
| ''oculus uterque'' |
| ''oculus uterque'' |
||
| "both eyes" |
| "both eyes" |
||
Line 546: | Line 568: | ||
| See also ''inst.'' and ''ult.'' |
| See also ''inst.'' and ''ult.'' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| QDBV |
|||
| Q.D.B.V. |
|||
| ''quod deus bene vertat'' |
| ''quod deus bene vertat'' |
||
| "may God look favourably on this" |
| "may God look favourably on this" |
||
| Often on the title page of books. |
| Often on the title page of books. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| QEC |
||
| ''quod erat construendum'' |
| ''quod erat construendum'' |
||
| "which was to be constructed" |
| "which was to be constructed" |
||
| After constructing something, normally to show its existence. |
| After constructing something, normally to show its existence. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| QEF |
||
| ''[[quod erat faciendum]]'' |
| ''[[quod erat faciendum]]'' |
||
| "which was to be done"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
| "which was to be done"<ref name=US_GPO_style/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| QEI |
||
| ''quod erat inveniendum'' |
| ''quod erat inveniendum'' |
||
| "which was to be found out" |
| "which was to be found out" |
||
Line 581: | Line 603: | ||
| Used in several related senses such as "in the sense of" or "in accordance with". For example, in taxonomy "''...sec.'' Smith..." typically would mean something like: "...in accordance with the ideas of Smith in this matter..." |
| Used in several related senses such as "in the sense of" or "in accordance with". For example, in taxonomy "''...sec.'' Smith..." typically would mean something like: "...in accordance with the ideas of Smith in this matter..." |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| SCS |
||
| ''Sanctus'' |
| ''Sanctus'' |
||
| "Holy"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "Holy"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| SCSDX |
|||
| S.C.S.D.X |
|||
| ''Sanctus Dominus Christus'' |
| ''Sanctus Dominus Christus'' |
||
| "Holy Lord Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "Holy Lord Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| SDX |
||
| ''Sanctus Dominus Christus'' |
| ''Sanctus Dominus Christus'' |
||
| "Holy Lord Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "Holy Lord Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| SDIX |
||
| ''Salvator Dominus Iesus Christus'' |
| ''Salvator Dominus Iesus Christus'' |
||
| "Saviour Lord Jesus Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "Saviour Lord Jesus Christ"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| SJD |
||
| ''Scientiae Juridicae Doctor'' |
| ''Scientiae Juridicae Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Juridical Science]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Juridical Science]]" |
||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| ScD |
||
| ''Scientiae Doctor'' |
| ''Scientiae Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Science]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Science]]" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "Sc.D." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| sphalm. |
| sphalm. |
||
Line 616: | Line 638: | ||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| SPD |
||
| ''salutem plurimam dicit'' |
| ''salutem plurimam dicit'' |
||
| "sends many greetings" |
| "sends many greetings" |
||
| Example: ''Areia S.P.D. Apollonio.'' ("Areia sends many greetings to Apollonius.")<ref name=Opsopaus/> |
| Example: ''Areia S.P.D. Apollonio.'' ("Areia sends many greetings to Apollonius.")<ref name=Opsopaus/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| SPQR |
|||
| S.P.Q.R. |
|||
| ''[[Senatus Populusque Romanus]]'' |
| ''[[Senatus Populusque Romanus]]'' |
||
| "Senate and People of Rome" |
| "Senate and People of Rome" |
||
Line 641: | Line 663: | ||
| Used in editing to indicate that something should remain as it is, and not be changed. |
| Used in editing to indicate that something should remain as it is, and not be changed. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| STTL |
|||
| S.T.T.L. |
|||
| ''[[sit tibi terra levis]]'' |
| ''[[sit tibi terra levis]]'' |
||
| "may the earth rest lightly on you" |
| "may the earth rest lightly on you" |
||
Line 651: | Line 673: | ||
| As in a dictionary. |
| As in a dictionary. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| SVBEEV |
|||
| S.V.B.E.E.V. |
|||
| ''si vales bene est ego valeo'' |
| ''si vales bene est ego valeo'' |
||
| "If you are well, it is good. I am well." |
| "If you are well, it is good. I am well." |
||
| Among the Romans, this was a traditional salutation at the beginning of a letter. |
| Among the Romans, this was a traditional salutation at the beginning of a letter. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| ThD |
||
| ''Theologiae Doctor'' |
| ''Theologiae Doctor'' |
||
| "[[Doctor of Theology]]" |
| "[[Doctor of Theology]]" |
||
| Where periods are used, it is "Th.D." |
|||
| |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| ult. |
| ult. |
||
Line 671: | Line 693: | ||
| |
| |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| VC |
||
| ''[[vi coactus]]'' |
| ''[[vi coactus]]'' |
||
| "constrained by force" |
| "constrained by force" |
||
| Used when forced to sign. |
| Used when forced to sign. |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| |
| VI |
||
| ''Venerate Iesum'' |
| ''Venerate Iesum'' |
||
| "Venerate Jesus"<ref name=Worley/> |
| "Venerate Jesus"<ref name=Worley/> |
||
Line 715: | Line 737: | ||
== See also == |
== See also == |
||
* |
* {{section link|Glossary of scientific naming|Latin abbreviations}} |
||
* [[List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions]] |
* [[List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions]] |
||
* [[List of classical abbreviations]] |
* [[List of classical abbreviations]] |
||
Line 723: | Line 745: | ||
== References == |
== References == |
||
=== Footnotes === |
|||
{{reflist|refs= |
{{reflist|refs= |
||
Line 784: | Line 806: | ||
| first1=John |
| first1=John |
||
| title=Classical Salutations and Closings in Greek and Roman Letters, Adapted to Electronic Mail |
| title=Classical Salutations and Closings in Greek and Roman Letters, Adapted to Electronic Mail |
||
⚫ | |||
| url-status=dead |
|||
⚫ | |||
</ref> |
</ref> |
||
Line 792: | Line 813: | ||
| url=https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/genealogy-glossary/#:~:text=%2D%20Date%20of%20death.,term%20meaning%20died%20without%20issue. |
| url=https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/genealogy-glossary/#:~:text=%2D%20Date%20of%20death.,term%20meaning%20died%20without%20issue. |
||
| title=Genealogy - Glossary |
| title=Genealogy - Glossary |
||
| website=[[PBS]] |
|||
| access-date=2021-09-23 |
| access-date=2021-09-23 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
Line 804: | Line 826: | ||
| url-status=dead |
| url-status=dead |
||
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015004130/http://users.erols.com/kurrency/explanation.pdf |
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015004130/http://users.erols.com/kurrency/explanation.pdf |
||
| archive-date= |
| archive-date=2009-10-15 |
||
| access-date=2021-04-24 |
| access-date=2021-04-24 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
Line 822: | Line 844: | ||
| url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016-11.pdf |
| url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016-11.pdf |
||
| title=United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, Chapter 9: Abbreviations and Letter Symbols |
| title=United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, Chapter 9: Abbreviations and Letter Symbols |
||
| format=PDF |
|||
| date=2016 |
| date=2016 |
||
| access-date=2021-04-24 |
| access-date=2021-04-24 |
||
Line 835: | Line 856: | ||
| last2=Wagner (Department of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University) |
| last2=Wagner (Department of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University) |
||
| first2=Thomas Gregor |
| first2=Thomas Gregor |
||
| format=PDF |
|||
| title=How to make swords talk: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding medieval swords and their inscriptions |
| title=How to make swords talk: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding medieval swords and their inscriptions |
||
| access-date=2015-08-08 |
| access-date=2015-08-08 |
||
Line 844: | Line 864: | ||
=== Bibliography === |
=== Bibliography === |
||
* {{ |
* {{Cite EB9 |wstitle= Abbreviation |volume= I |pages=26-29 |short= 1}} |
||
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Abbreviation |volume= 1 | pages = 27–29 |short= 1 }} |
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Abbreviation |volume= 1 | pages = 27–29 |short= 1 }} |
||
Line 876: | Line 896: | ||
| url=http://kiss.ifas.ufl.edu/kiss5.htm |
| url=http://kiss.ifas.ufl.edu/kiss5.htm |
||
| title=What Latin abbreviations mean |
| title=What Latin abbreviations mean |
||
| url-status=dead |
|||
| access-date=2007-04-16 |
| access-date=2007-04-16 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
Line 891: | Line 910: | ||
[[Category:Lists of phrases]] |
[[Category:Lists of phrases]] |
||
[[Category:Lists of abbreviations|Latin]] |
[[Category:Lists of abbreviations|Latin]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Latin language-related lists]] |
Latest revision as of 23:44, 17 July 2024
This is a list of common Latin abbreviations. Nearly all the abbreviations below have been adopted by Modern English. However, with some exceptions (for example, versus or modus operandi), most of the Latin referent words and phrases are perceived as foreign to English. In a few cases, English referents have replaced the original Latin ones (e.g., "rest in peace" for RIP and "postscript" for PS).
Latin was once the universal academic language in Europe. From the 18th century, authors started using their mother tongues to write books, papers or proceedings. Even when Latin fell out of use, many Latin abbreviations continued to be used due to their precise simplicity and Latin's status as a learned language.[citation needed]
List of common abbreviations
[edit]abbreviation | Latin | translation | usage and notes |
---|---|---|---|
AD | anno Domini | "in the year of the Lord" | Used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The AD or the Christian calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with AD counting years after the start of this epoch, and BC counting years before the start of the epoch. Example: "The United States Civil War began in AD 1861." |
a.i. | ad interim | "temporarily" | Used in business organizational charts |
a.m. | ante meridiem | "before midday"[1] | Used on the twelve-hour clock to indicate times during the morning. Example: "We will meet the mayor at 10:00 a.m." (10:00 in 24-hour clock) |
ca. c. |
circa | "around", "about", "approximately"[2][3] | Used with dates to indicate "approximately". Example: "The antique clock is from ca. 1900." |
Cap. | capitulus | "chapter" | Used before a chapter number of laws of the United Kingdom[4] and its former colonies. Example: "Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553)." |
cf. | confer | "bring together" and hence "compare" | Confer is an imperative form of the Latin verb conferre.[3] Used interchangeably with "cp." in citations indicating the reader should compare a statement with that from the cited source. It is also widely used as an abbreviation for "see", although some styles recommend against such use. Example: "These results were similar to those obtained using different techniques (cf. Wilson, 1999 and Ansmann, 1992)." |
CP | ceteris paribus | "other things being equal" | Commonly used in economics, ceteris paribus allows for supply and demand models to reflect specific variables. If one assumes that the only thing changing is, say, the price of wheat, then demand and supply will both be affected appropriately. While this is simplification of actual dynamic market models, it makes learning economic theory easier. |
CV | curriculum vitae | "course of life" | A document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. The exact usage of the term varies between British English and American English. The singular form is never vita. Curriculum is already singular, vitae is genitive from vita, i.e., "of life", despite the plural-appearing vitae modifier. The true plural is curricula vitae.[5] |
cwt. | centum weight | "hundredweight"[1] | This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
DG | Dei gratia | "by the grace of God"[1] | A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British and Canadian coins. |
DV | Deo volente | "God willing" | |
ead. | eadem | "the same" (woman) | See id. below. Eadem is pronounced with stress on the first e. |
et al. | et alii, et alia, et alibi | "and others", "and co-workers",[1] "and other things", "and other places" | Example: "These results agree with the ones published by Pelon et al. (2002)." Et al. should be preferred over etc. to refer to people. |
etc. | et cetera | "and the others", "and other things", "and the rest"[1] | Other archaic abbreviations include "&c.", "&/c.", "&e.", "&ct.", and "&ca." Example: "I need to go to the store and buy some pie, milk, cheese, etc." Because cetera implies inanimate objects, et al. is preferred when speaking of people. |
e.g. | exempli gratia | "for example", "for instance",[1] "example given" (mnemonic) | Introduces an example (as opposed to an explanation): "The shipping company instituted a surcharge on any items weighing over a ton; e.g., a car or truck." |
fac. | ex post facto | "after the fact", "retroactive" | Used similarly to "retroactive". Example: "The sentiment that ex post facto laws are against natural right is so strong in the United States, that few, if any, of the State constitutions have failed to proscribe them." —Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Isaac McPherson, August 13, 1813 |
fl. | floruit | "flourished" | Followed by the dates during which the person, usually famous, was active and productive in his/her profession. Typically used when the person's dates of birth and death are unknown.[1] |
f. (singular) ff. (plural) |
folio, foliis | "and following" | This abbreviation is used in citations to indicate an unspecified number of pages following the specified page. Example: "see page 258ff." |
ibid. | ibidem | "in the same place" (book, etc.)"[1] | The abbreviation is used in citations. Not to be confused with id. |
id. | idem | "the same" (man)[1] | It is used to avoid repeating the name of a male author (in citations, footnotes, bibliographies, etc.) When quoting a female author, use the corresponding feminine form, ead. (eadem), "the same" (woman). |
i.a. | inter alia | "among other things" | Example: "Ernest Hemingway—author (i.a. 'The Sun Also Rises') and friend." |
i.e. | id est | "that is", "in other words",[1] "is equivalent" (mnemonic) | Introduces an explanation (as opposed to an example): "For reasons not fully understood there is only a minor PSI contribution to the variable fluorescence emission of chloroplasts (Dau, 1994), i.e., the PSI fluorescence appears to be independent from the state of its reaction centre (Butler, 1978)." See also the note for sc. |
JD | Juris Doctor | "doctor of law" | |
lb. (singular) lbs. (also plural) |
libra | "scales" | Used to indicate the pound (unit of mass).[1] |
LLB | Legum Baccalaureus | "Bachelor of Laws" | The "LL" of the abbreviation for the degree is from the genitive plural legum (singular: lex or legis, for law), thus "LLB" stands for Legum Baccalaureus in Latin. Where periods are used, it is "LL.B." In the United States it was sometimes erroneously called "Bachelor of Legal Letters" to account for the double "L" (and therefore sometimes wrongly abbreviated as "L.L.B."). |
loc. cit. | loco citato | "(in) the place cited" | Means in the same place (i.e., page or section) in an article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It differs from "op. cit." in that the latter may refer to a different page or section in the previously cited work. |
MA | Magister Artium | "Master of Arts" | A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in fine art, humanities, social science or theology and can be either fully taught, research-based, or a combination of the two. |
MO | modus operandi | "method of operating" | Can refer to one's body of business practices. Also, in criminology, to refer to a criminal's method of operation. |
NB | nota bene (singular), notate bene (plural) | "note well" | Some people use "Note" for the same purpose.[1] Usually written with majuscule (upper case, or capital) letters. Example: "NB: All the measurements have an accuracy of within 5% as they were calibrated according to the procedure described by Jackson (1989)." |
nem. con. | nemine contradicente | "with no one speaking against" | The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. con." simply means that nobody voted against. Thus there may have been abstentions from the vote.[citation needed] |
no. | numero (singular), nos. (plural) | "number" | Used as a common abbreviation for "number" in all forms of writing. |
op. cit. | opere citato | "(in) the work cited" | Means in the same article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It is most often used in citations in a similar way to "ibid", though "ibid" would usually be followed by a page number. |
OV | orthographiae variae | "various spellings" | Used in historical research where spellings of names varied, such as genealogy tables and ancestry charts, for example when MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are used by different members of the same family, or even by the same person at different times (before spellings were standardized). See also Orthographical variant. |
p.a. | per annum | "through a year" | Used in the sense of "yearly".[1] |
per cent. | per centum | "for each one hundred" | Commonly "percent" in American English.[6] |
PhD | Philosophiae Doctor | "Doctor of Philosophy" | Where periods are used, it is "Ph.D." |
p.m. | post meridiem | "after midday" | Used on the twelve-hour clock to indicate times after 12 midday. Example: "We will meet the mayor at 2:00 p.m." (14:00 in 24-hour clock) |
p.m.a. | post mortem auctoris | "after the author's death" | |
p.p. per pro. |
per procurationem | "through the agency of" | |
PRN | pro re nata | "for the thing born" | As used in standard medical jargon, PRN is understood to mean "as needed". This reading of the abbreviation implies that the delivery of the prescription (by a suitable person, following a medications protocol) is done in a reactive, passive way, e.g., "when that happens, do this". A more literal translation of the Latin is "before a thing is born", which is an instruction to act pro-actively, e.g., "before that happens, do this". A PRN medication delivery is therefore properly done when a physician judges that it should be done, in order to prevent a specified problem from occurring. Oversimplifying, a patient's breakfast could be written as a PRN prescription: give this breakfast to that patient, to prevent that patient from experiencing hunger. |
pro tem. | pro tempore | "for the time being", "temporarily", "in place of"[1] | |
PS | post scriptum | "after what has been written", "postscript" | Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter. Example (in a letter format): "Sincerely, John Smith. PS Tell mother I say hello!" |
PPS | post post scriptum | "post-postscript" | Used to indicate additions after a postscript. Sometimes extended to comical length with PPPS, PPPPS, and so on. |
q.d. | quaque die | "every day" | Used on prescriptions to indicate the medicine should be taken daily. |
QED | quod erat demonstrandum | "that which was to be demonstrated"[1] | Cited in many texts at the end of a mathematical proof. Example: "At the end of the long proof, the professor exclaimed 'QED!'" |
q.v. qq.v. |
quod vide quae vide |
"which see" | Imperative,[1] used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in the current document or book. For more than one term or phrase, the plural qq.v. is used. |
re | in re | "in the matter of", "concerning" | Often used to prefix the subject of traditional letters and memoranda. However, when used in an e-mail subject, there is evidence that it functions as an abbreviation of "reply" rather than the word meaning "in the matter of". Nominative case singular 'res' is the Latin equivalent of 'thing'; singular 're' is the ablative case required by 'in'. Some people believe that it is short for 'regarding', especially if it is followed by a colon (i.e., "Re:"). |
Reg. | regina | "queen" | A part of the monarch's title. It is found on all British coins minted during the reign of a monarch who is a queen. Rex, "king" (not an abbreviation) is used when the reigning monarch is a king. |
r. | regnavit, or, more rarely, rexit | "he/she reigned", "he/she ruled" | Often abbreviated as "r." followed by the dates during which the king or queen reigned/ruled, as opposed to the monarch's dates of birth and death. Often used parenthetically after the monarch's name. |
RIP | requiescat in pace, requiescant in pace | "may he/she rest in peace", "may they rest in peace" | Used as a short prayer for a dead person, frequently found on tombstones. This prayer's English equivalent would be rest in peace. Example: "RIP, good grandmother." |
s.a. | sensu amplo | "in a relaxed, generous (or 'ample') sense" | |
sine anno | "without year of publication" | Commonly used in bibliography. | |
sc. scil. |
scilicet | "it is permitted to know", "one may know", "to wit" | Sc. provides a parenthetic clarification, removes an ambiguity, or supplies a word omitted in preceding text, while viz. is usually used to elaborate or detail text which precedes it. Sc. and viz. are not to be confused with i.e. (id est), equivalent to "that is". Their meanings are similar, but there is a distinction which should be observed: sc. and viz. introduce a clarification, while i.e. introduces an equivalence. |
s.d. | sine data | "without date of publication" | Commonly used in bibliography. |
s.l. | sensu lato | "in the wide or broad sense" | Example: "New Age s.l. has a strong American flavor influenced by Californian counterculture." |
sine loco | "without place of publication" | Commonly used in bibliography. | |
s.s. | sensu stricto | "in the strict sense" | Example: "New Age s.s. refers to a spectrum of alternative communities in Europe and the United States in the 1970s." |
SOS | si opus sit | "if there is need", "if occasion require", "if necessary"[7] | A prescription indication that the drug is to be administered only once. |
sic | sic | "thus" | Used when quoting text that contains some form of mistake, to show that the mistake was in the original work and is not a misquotation. Sic is also often used to indicate surprise or incredulity, or maliciously, to draw attention to an author's mistake. |
stat. | statim | "immediately" | Often used in medical contexts. Example: "That patient needs attention, stat.!" |
viz. | videlicet | "namely", "to wit", "precisely", "that is to say"[1] | In contradistinction to "i.e." and "e.g.", "viz." is used to indicate a detailed description of something stated before, and when it precedes a list of group members, it implies (near) completeness. Example: "The noble gases, viz. helium, neon, argon, xenon, krypton and radon, show a non-expected behaviour when exposed to this new element." See also sc. |
vs. v. |
versus | "against" | Sometimes is not abbreviated. Example: "The next football game will be the Knights vs. the Sea Eagles." English law uses v without a full stop (period), never vs, and is read as against (in criminal cases) or and (in civil cases); for example, "R[egina] v Gadd" (a criminal case) is read as "The Crown against Gadd." In Scots Law, the v is read "against"; for example, "Donoghue v Stevenson" is pronounced "Donoghue against Stevenson." US law usually uses v. with a full stop (period), and is typically read as "v" or "versus"; an exception is before the Supreme Court of the United States, which follows the English style on this point and does not include a full stop (period) after the "v".[8] |
List of less-common abbreviations and usages
[edit]Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often.
abbreviation or word | Latin | translation | usage and notes |
---|---|---|---|
AB | Artium Baccalaureus | "Bachelor of Arts" | An undergraduate bachelor's degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. |
a.C.n. | ante Christum natum | "before Christ" | "B.C." is commonly used in English instead to convey this meaning. |
ad. nat. delt. | ad naturam delineavit | "after nature" | Example: "She drew this artwork ad. nat. delt." |
AMDG | ad maiorem Dei gloriam, ad majorem Dei gloriam | "for the greater glory of God" | The motto of the Society of Jesus. |
An. Sal. AS |
Anno Salutis | "the year of salvation" | The year of Christ the Savior, similar to AD. |
a.u. | anno urbis | "the year of the city"[2] | See AUC |
AUC | ab Urbe condita, anno Urbis conditae | "from the foundation of the City"[1] | Refers to the founding of Rome, which occurred in 753 BC according to Livy's count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems. Also anno Urbis conditae (AUC) ("in the year that the City [Rome] was founded"). For example, the year 2007 AD is the year 2761 ab Urbe condita (753 + 1 + 2007 = 2761); though, rigorously speaking, the year AUC begins on April 21, the birthday of Rome (i.e., the day that Romulus was traditionally believed to have founded the Eternal City). (The reason for adding 1 to 753 is that the Romans counted dates "inclusively," i.e., including both the first and the last day or year in the count.) |
BA | see AB | ||
Ben | Benedictus | "Blessed" | |
c | cum | "with" | Usually found in medical shorthand. |
CC. | Civis in plural | "citizens" | Abbreviation for Citizens (plural of citizen). Usually found in legal documents in Civil law countries. |
DD | Divinitatis Doctor | "Doctor of Divinity"[6] | |
DLit DLitt |
Doctor Litterarum | "Doctor of Literature" or "Doctor of Letters"[6] | Where periods are used, it is "D.Lit." or "D.Litt." |
DM | Doctor Medicinae | "Doctor of Medicine"[6] | |
DMD | Dentae Medicinae Doctor | "Doctor of Dental Medicine" | |
DPhil | Doctor Philosophiæ | "Doctor of Philosophy" | Where periods are used, it is "D.Phil." |
DSc | Doctor Scientiae | "Doctor of Science" | Where periods are used, it is "D.Sc." |
DSP | decessit sine prole | "died without issue" | Used in genealogy.[6][9] |
DTh | Doctor Theologiae | "Doctor of Theology" | Where periods are used, it is "D.Th." |
EdD | Educationae Doctor | "Doctor of Education" | Where periods are used, it is "Ed.D." |
et seq. et seqq. et sequa. |
et sequens | "and the words, pages, etc. that follow" | Used when referring the reader to a passage beginning in a certain place, and continuing, e.g., "p.6 et seqq." means "page 6 and the pages that follow". Use et seqq. or et sequa. if "the following" is plural. |
et ux. | et uxor | "and wife" | |
et vir | "and husband" | ||
dwt. | denarius weight | "pennyweight"[1] | This is a mixture of Latin and English abbreviations. |
FD Fid. Def. |
fidei defensor | "defender of the faith" | A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British coins. |
INDFSSA | In Nomine Dei/Domini Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen | "In the name of the Lord, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen"[10] | |
in litt. | in litteris | "in a letter" or other documented correspondence | Often followed by a date. |
inst. | instante mense[1] | "this month" | See also prox. and ult. |
inter alios | "among others" | Among other people, or among other legal entities. | |
JSD | Juridicae Scientiae Doctor | "Doctor of Juridical Science" | |
LitD LittD |
Litterarum Doctor | "Doctor of Literature" or "Doctor of Letters"[6] | Where periods are used, it is "Lit.D." or "Litt.D." |
LLD | Legum Doctor | "Doctor of Laws" | Where periods are used, it is "LL.D." |
LLM | Legum Magister | "Master of Laws" | Where periods are used, it is "LL.M." |
loq. | loquitur | "he speaks" or "she speaks"[6] | |
MD | Medicinae Doctor | "Doctor of Medicine"[6] | |
m.m. | mutatis mutandis | "having changed what needs to be changed", "once the necessary changes have been made" | Used in many countries to acknowledge that a comparison being made requires certain obvious alterations, which are left unstated. It is not to be confused with the similar ceteris paribus, which excludes any changes other than those explicitly mentioned. |
NIA | In Nomine Iesus Amen | "In the name of Jesus Amen"[10] | |
N.N. | nomen nescio | "I do not know the name" | Used as a placeholder for unknown names in, i.a., the Book of Common Prayer. |
Nob. | nobis | "by us" | Used in Latin descriptions of organisms, particularly plants, to indicate that a name is due to the author or authors. |
OD | oculus dexter | "the right eye" | Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
Optometriae Doctor | "Doctor of Optometry" | ||
OHSS | Ossa hic sita sunt | "here lie the bones" | Used on sepulchers and gravestones. |
OS | oculus sinister | "the left eye" | Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
OU | oculus uterque | "both eyes" | Used in vision correction prescriptions. |
per mil. | per mille | "in each thousand" | |
prox. | proximo mense | "next month"[1] | See also inst. and ult. |
QDBV | quod deus bene vertat | "may God look favourably on this" | Often on the title page of books. |
QEC | quod erat construendum | "which was to be constructed" | After constructing something, normally to show its existence. |
QEF | quod erat faciendum | "which was to be done"[1] | |
QEI | quod erat inveniendum | "which was to be found out" | Usually at the end of mathematical proofs. |
s | sine | "without" | Usually found in medical shorthand. |
S | Sanctus/Salvator | "Holy/Saviour" | |
sec. | secundum | "second", "after", "following"[11] | Used in several related senses such as "in the sense of" or "in accordance with". For example, in taxonomy "...sec. Smith..." typically would mean something like: "...in accordance with the ideas of Smith in this matter..." |
SCS | Sanctus | "Holy"[10] | |
SCSDX | Sanctus Dominus Christus | "Holy Lord Christ"[10] | |
SDX | Sanctus Dominus Christus | "Holy Lord Christ"[10] | |
SDIX | Salvator Dominus Iesus Christus | "Saviour Lord Jesus Christ"[10] | |
SJD | Scientiae Juridicae Doctor | "Doctor of Juridical Science" | |
ScD | Scientiae Doctor | "Doctor of Science" | Where periods are used, it is "Sc.D." |
sphalm. | sphalma typographicum | "misprint" | |
SPD | salutem plurimam dicit | "sends many greetings" | Example: Areia S.P.D. Apollonio. ("Areia sends many greetings to Apollonius.")[12] |
SPQR | Senatus Populusque Romanus | "Senate and People of Rome" | |
sqq. | sequentia | "the following ones" | Same as ff., used for an unspecified number of pages following the one cited. |
S.S. Theol. | Sacrosanctae Theologiae | "of the holy theology" | Used in abbreviations in "S.S.Theol.Doct." (Doctor of Theology) and in "S.S.Theol.Studiosus" ("student of theology"). |
stet | "let it stand" | Used in editing to indicate that something should remain as it is, and not be changed. | |
STTL | sit tibi terra levis | "may the earth rest lightly on you" | Was used in similar manner to R.I.P. |
s.v. | sub verbo | "under the word or heading" | As in a dictionary. |
SVBEEV | si vales bene est ego valeo | "If you are well, it is good. I am well." | Among the Romans, this was a traditional salutation at the beginning of a letter. |
ThD | Theologiae Doctor | "Doctor of Theology" | Where periods are used, it is "Th.D." |
ult. | ultimo mense[1] | "last month" | See also inst. and prox. |
u.s. | ut supra | "as above" | |
VC | vi coactus | "constrained by force" | Used when forced to sign. |
VI | Venerate Iesum | "Venerate Jesus"[10] | |
v.i. | vide infra | "see below" | |
v.s. | vide supra | "see above" | |
X | Christus | "Christ" |
Used in biology
[edit]- aff. (affinis): having affinity with, similar but not identical to
- auct. (auctorum): of the authors; indicates that a name is used in the sense of subsequent authors, and not in the sense of the original author
- Ca. (Candidatus): for candidate names of organisms that have not been completely accepted
- ex. (exemplar): example or specimen; plural abbreviated as exx.
- f. sp. (forma specialis): a special form adapted to a specific host; plural abbreviated as ff. spp.
- in coll. (in collectionem): in the collection, often followed by the name of a collection or museum
- indet. (indeterminans): undetermined, unidentified
- leg. (legit): he/she collected, often followed by the name of the collector
- nob. (nobis): by us, used to indicate that the writer(s) are the author(s) of a scientific name
- sensu: "in the sense of", used for different groups of organisms
- sp. (species): species (singular); plural also species, abbreviated as spp.
- sp. nov. (species nova): new species (singular); plural is species novae, abbreviated as spp. nov.
- ssp., subsp. (subspecies): subspecies (singular); plural is subspecies, abbreviated sspp. or subspp.
See also
[edit]- Glossary of scientific naming § Latin abbreviations
- List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions
- List of classical abbreviations
- List of ecclesiastical abbreviations
- List of Latin phrases
- Scribal abbreviation
References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, Chapter 9: Abbreviations and Letter Symbols" (PDF). 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Latin abbreviations". Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ a b "COMMONEST ABBREVIATIONS, SIGNS, ETC. USED IN THE APPARATUS TO A CLASSICAL TEXT". Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Schuler, Kurt. "Tables of Modern Monetary Systems—Explanation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Thesaurus Linguae Latinae. Vol. IV (1906-09 edition, digitized by Thesaurus Linguae Latinae ed.). p. 1506.
iuventuti prolixa vitae [curricul]a data sunt (attributed to Marcus Cornelius Fronto)
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Latin Abbreviations". Archived from the original on 13 August 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2007.
- ^ "Pharmaceutical Latin. Abbreviations". Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ Office of the Solicitor General Citation Manual. United States Department of Justice. p. 2.
- ^ "Genealogy - Glossary". PBS. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Worley (Museum Gustavianum, Uppsala University), John; Wagner (Department of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University), Thomas Gregor. "How to make swords talk: an interdisciplinary approach to understanding medieval swords and their inscriptions" (PDF). Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ Marchant, J.R.V.; Charles Joseph F. (1952). Cassell's Latin dictionary. London: Cassell.
- ^ Opsopaus, John. "Classical Salutations and Closings in Greek and Roman Letters, Adapted to Electronic Mail".
Bibliography
[edit]- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I (9th ed.). 1878. pp. 26–29. .
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 27–29. .
External links
[edit]- "Common abbreviations in Latin inscriptions published in L'année épigraphique 1888–1993". Archived from the original on 11 April 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- "Linguists' Latin". Archived from the original on 17 February 2007. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- "Latin words and abbreviations". Archived from the original on 9 December 2006. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- "What Latin abbreviations mean". Retrieved 16 April 2007.
- "Latin and Greek Elements in English". Retrieved 24 April 2021.