©Damen, 2020
BUILDING ENGLISH VOCABULARY: LATIN AND GREEK ELEMENTS IN ENGLISH
FAMILIAR LATIN ABBREVIATIONS IN ENGLISH
[Click here for a pdf copy of the abbreviations below.]
| ABBREVIATION | ORIGINAL LATIN PHRASE | ENGLISH TRANSLATION | SITUATION IN WHICH ABBREVIATION IS USED | |
| 1. | A.M. | ante meridiem | "before noon" | when telling time |
| 2. | cf. | confer | "compare" | when comparing two things; research and technical writing |
| 3. | e.g. | exempli gratia | "for example" | when giving an example; research and technical writing |
| 4. | et al. | et alibi | "and elsewhere" | when suggesting that there are other pertinent data (but not citing them in detail); research and technical writing |
| 5. | et al. | et alii | "and others," "and the other people" | when suggesting that there are other pertinent data (but not citing them in detail); research and technical writing |
| 6. | etc. | et cetera | "and the rest," "and the other things" | when suggesting that there are other pertinent data (but not citing them in detail); research and technical writing |
| 7. | ibid. | ibidem | "in the same place" | when citing a preceding reference; research and technical writing |
| 8. | id. | idem | "the same" | when citing the same reference as the one immediately preceding; research and technical writing |
| 9. | i.e. | id est | "that is" | when restating something |
| 10. | loc. cit. | loco citato | "in the place cited" | when citing the same reference as the one immediately preceding; research and technical writing |
| 11. | N.B. | nota bene | "note well" | when calling something to the reader's attention |
| 12. | P.M. | post meridiem | "after noon" | when telling time |
| 13. | QED | quod erat demonstrandum | "which was to be proven" | when closing a formal argument, refers to the central thesis under consideration; logical argumentation |
| 14. | R.I.P. | requiescat in pace | "may he/she rest in peace" | tombstone |
| 15. | sc. | scilicet | "doubtless" | when restating or clarifying something; research and technical writing |
| 16. | s.v. | sub verbo or sub voce | "under the word or heading" | when referencing another entry in a dictionary and encyclopedia; research and technical writing |
| 17. | v. | vide | "see" | when referencing another entry in a dictionary and encyclopedia; research and technical writing |
| 18. | viz. | videlicet | "namely" | when restating or clarifying something; research and technical writing |