Blogging Tips

Abbreviations are shortened versions of words or phrases. There are many abbreviations which are used frequently in English, most of which are derived from Latin. Infact, the word ‘abbreviation‘ is derived from the Latin word brevis, which means short.

You may be aware of many of the most common abbreviations used but I am sure you will find this list useful nevertheless

Please note, in the past all abbreviations had a full stop (period) at the end of it but this isn’t always the case now and sometimes the full stop is dropped. Also, many people recommend adding a comma after an abbreviation.

• etc – Short for ‘et cetera‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘and other things‘ or ‘and so forth‘. Example : 4, 5, 6 etc.
• i.e. – Short for ‘id est‘, which is the Latin term for ‘that is‘ or ‘in other words‘. Example : I went back to writing on my usual blogging device i.e. my laptop. This abbreviation is commonly confused with e.g. (and vice-versa).
• e.g. – Short for ‘exempli gratia‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘for example‘. Example : The man was rich enough to buy his own basketball team e.g. the New York Knicks.
• p.s. – Short for ‘post scriptum‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘after writing‘. It is an afterword which is added at the end of a text. Example : p.s. I wrote this article with my left hand. Additional afterwords add an extra P ie. p.s., p.p.s.,p.p.p.s. etc.
• N.B. – Short for ‘Nota bene‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘note well‘. It’s used to remind the reader not to forget something important. Example : N.B. Always make sure you wash your hands before you leave the bathroom!
• cf. – Short for ‘confer‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘compare‘ or ‘consult‘. It is very common in academic papers, journals and other types of reference publications e.g. dictionaries. It is used to draw the readers attention to additional information. Example : cf. page 405.
• p.p. – Short for ‘per procurationem‘ (‘per pro‘), which is the Latin for ‘to behalf of‘. It is used frequently in business letters. For example, a secretary sending out a letter on behalf of the company CEO would p.p. her name to the bottom of it to show that they have written the letter on behalf of the CEO.
• viz. – Short for ‘videlicit‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘it is permitted to see‘, ‘as befitting‘ or ‘as is pleasing to‘. In English it is usually read as ‘namely‘ and is mostly used in the same way as i.e., Example : He was sent to the principles office viz. Mr Jones.
• et al. – Short for ‘et alii‘ which is the Latin phrase for ‘and others‘. ‘Alii‘ is the masculine form so when referring to a female you should use ‘et aliae‘. The neutral form ‘et alia‘ can be used when referring to a lot of people. Example : The song proved to be popular with football fans et al.
• Q.E.D. – Short for ‘quod erat demonstrandum‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘which was to be proved‘. It is used frequently in Mathematics. Example : 4X=12 therefore X=3 Q.E.D.
• M.O. – Short for ‘modus operandi, which is the Latin phrase for ‘mode of operation‘ or ‘method of working‘. It is common to use this phrase to describe somones habits. Example : David’s M.O. was to have an apple in the morning every day.
• q.v. – Short for ‘quod vide‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘which see‘. It allows the writer to direct the reader to another part of the text or book (i.e. cross reference). Example : q.v. chapter 7.
• i.a. – Short for ‘inter alia‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘among other things‘.
• c. – Short for ‘circa‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘about‘ or ‘around‘. It is sometimes abbreviated to ca. Example : The book is thought to have been written c. 1650.
• ibid – Short for ‘ibidem‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘the same place‘. It is used to provide a footnote at the end of text. ibid comes after the source it is referencing. Example : 10 ibid.
• Id. – Short for ‘idem‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘the same‘. It is very similar to the term ibid. Example id. pager 4.
• op.cit – Short for ‘pus citatum‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘from the cited work‘. It is usually used as a footnote to refer the reader to an older citation.
• vs – Short for ‘versus‘, which is the Latin word for ‘against‘. Sometimes it is abbreviated as v.
• S.O.S. – Short for ‘si opus sit‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘if there is need‘ or ‘if necessary‘.
• Re – Short for ‘in re‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘in the matter of‘ or ‘concerning‘. Is used frequently in letters and emails.
• a.m. – Short for ‘ante meridiem‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘before noon‘. Example : I’ll meet you at the cafe at 10 a.m.
• p.m. – Short for ‘post meridiem‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘after noon‘ Example : I don’t finish work til 8 p.m.
• A.D. – Short for ‘Anno Domini‘, which is Latin for ‘In the year of Our Lord‘.
• C.V. – Short for ‘curriculum vitae‘, which is a Latin phrase for ‘course of life‘. It is commonly used to refer to someones resume.
• p.a. – Short for ‘per annum‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘through a year‘.
• per cent - Short for ‘per centum‘, which is the Latin phrase for ‘for each one hundred‘.
• R.I.P. – Short for ‘requiescat in pace‘, which is the Latin for the phrase ‘may they rest in peace‘.

The above list was in no way exhaustive but I’m sure you will find it useful. Tomorrow I will be talking more about popular phrases which are derived from Latin so make sure you are subscribed to Blogging Tips