*BSD News Article 96711


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From: Allen Kirby <akirby@att.com>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell,comp.os.linux.misc,comp.os.linux.x,alt.os.linux,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,gnu.misc.discuss,comp.unix.solaris
Subject: Re: unix acronyms -collecting a list?
Date: Mon, 02 Jun 1997 13:09:35 -0400
Organization: AT&T - ITS Production Services
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Mike Ellis wrote:
<snip>
> Sorry to spoil the fun but these are not acronyms. An acronym is an
> abbreviation which can be pronounced as if it were a word. How on
> earth does one pronounce tcsh ?  Most TLAs (three letter acronyms) are
> not TLAs at all. In fact TLA is not a TLA itself.

Wrong.  Acronyms are words created from the first letters of other
words, such as:

FBI,MRI,IBM,FDA,FAA,AT&T 

Some are pronouncable, like RADAR, but it's the exception.  If what you
say is correct, none of the words above would be acronyms.  And they're
certainly not abbreviations, so what are they?

They're acronyms.


-- 
---
Allen Kirby			AT&T ITS Production Services
akirby@att.com			Alpharetta, GA.