Meaning of acronym (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Acronym:

An acronym is a word formed by the union of elements of two or more words, or an acronym that, due to its extended use, is already pronounced as a word.

Etymologically, the voice acronym is formed from the prefix acro- , from the Greek ἄκρος (ácros), which means 'extreme', and the suffix -ónimo , which derives from the Greek ὄνομα (ónoma), which means 'name'.

The main characteristic of acronyms is that thanks to their configuration they can be pronounced as a word, that is, they are read as they are written. The meaning of the acronyms is constituted by the sum of the meanings of the words that compose them.

The formation of acronyms is very common, especially in the field of science and new technologies, where it is necessary to create words to designate new realities.

Rules for creating acronyms

For the creation of the acronyms, only the nouns, adjectives and verbs are taken into account, and the articles, demonstratives, prepositions and conjugations are omitted. For example: TIC, of t echnology the i nformation and c ommunication .

However, it can also happen that some of the aforementioned elements can facilitate the pronunciation of the acronym in question and is included, for example, in the case of SME of p equeña and m edian and mpresa .

Acronyms, to be incorporated into the usual lexicon league should follow the general rules of Spanish grammar for forming plural ( UFO s ) or accentuation ( l to be , avi it or n ). Usually they are written in the genre of the main element.

Acronyms can be created in two ways. It can be formed word from the union of elements of two or more words, usually, the beginning of each word: Mercosur, Mer ed Co Mun the South , or the beginning of the first and the end of the last: as office automation, of offi ce and infor matic .

For example:

• Docudrama, of docu mind DRAMA tico.Unasur of U nion of Na tions South americanas.Mercosur of Mer ed Co Mun the South.Pémex of Pe tróleos Mex icanos.Bit of English b inary dig it .Motel, of the English mo tor and ho tel . Spanglish , from English spa nish and e nglish .Emoticon, from English emot ion and icon .

The acronym can also be an acronym that admits being pronounced as a word. In fact, some acronyms, with time and use, are incorporated into the usual lexicon of the language and stop being written in capital letters (AIDS, UFO, airplane, etc.). Only the names of institutions or organizations, such as Unesco or Unicef, keep the initial capital.

For example:

• AVE, of A lta V elocity E spañola.Ovni of or bject v dildo n or i dentificado.Renfe of Re d N ational Fe rrocarriles is pañoles.Sida of s índrome of i nmuno d efficiency to dquirida.TIC, of t echnology the i nformation and c omunicación.OTAN, O rganization of the T I REATY the a tlántico N orte.LED, of the English l ight e mitting d iode , or 'luz'.Radar emitting diode, of the English ra gave d etection to n r anging or 'detection and distance measurement radio'.Unesco, U nited N ations E ducational, S cientific and C ultural O rganization , or' Cultural Organization, Scientific and Educational of Unidas'.Sonar Nations of the English so und na vigation and r anging .Laser of the English l ight to mplification by s timulated and mission of r adiation .Avión of the French to ppareil v olant i mitant l ' or iseau n aturel or' flying machine that mimics the natural bird'.ASAP, from English A s S oon A s P ossible .

See also:

• Acronym.