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What is Acronym?
An acronym is a word formed by joining elements of two or more words, or an acronym that, due to its widespread use, is already pronounced as a word.
Etymologically, the acronym voice 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 like 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 acronyms, only nouns, adjectives and verbs are taken into account, omitting articles, demonstratives, prepositions and conjugations. For example: ICT, information and communication technology.
However, it may also happen that one of the elements mentioned above makes it easier to pronounce the acronym in question and is included, as, for example, in the case of SME , small and medium - sized company.
The acronyms, when incorporated into the usual lexicon of the language, must follow the general rules of Spanish grammar for the formation of plurals (ovni s) or for accentuation (l á ser, avi ó n). They are usually written in the gender of the parent element.
Acronyms can be created in two ways. It can be a word formed from the union of elements of two or more words, usually the beginning of each word: Mercosur, from Mercado Comun del Sur, or the beginning of the first and the end of the last.: as office automation , office automation and computing.
For example:
- Docudrama, of dramatic documentary.
- Unasur, from the Union of South American Nations.
- Mercosur, from the Common Market of the South.
- Pemex, from Petróleos Mexicanos.
- Bit, from English binarydig it.
- Motel, from the English motorand ho tel .
- Spanglish, from the English spa nish and e nglish.
- Emoticon, from English emoticonand icon .
The acronym can also be an acronym that can be pronounced as a word. In fact, some acronyms, with time and use, are incorporated into the usual lexicon of the language and are no longer written in capital letters (AIDS, UFO, plane, etc.). Only the names of institutions or organizations, such as UNESCO or Unicef, keep the initial capital letter.
For example:
- AVE ,Spanish High Speed. _
- UFO, unidentified flying object. _ _ _
- Renfe, of the NationalNetwork of Spanish Railways.
- AIDS, fromacquired efficiency immune syndrome. _
- ICT, information andcommunication technology.
- NATO, North A ntic T reat O rganization .
- LED, from the English light emittingdiode , or 'light emitting diode '.
- Radar, from the English radio detection a n r anging, or ' detection and measurement of distances by radio' .
- Unesco, UnitedNations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , or ' Cultural, Scientific and Educational Organization of the United Nations '.
- Sonar, from the English sound na vigation and r anging.
- Laser, fromthe English light amplification by stimulated mission of radiation .
- Airplane, from the French appareil v olant i mitant l' or iseau n aturel or 'flying device that imitates the natural bird'.
- ASAP, from the English As S oon A s P ossible.
