On Sun, 17 Jan 2010, Rob Emenecker wrote:
> > > Initialisms are a subset of Acronyms - IOW: All Initialisms are
> > > Acronyms since both stand for the initial letter(s) of a phrase
> > > ("RAdio Detection And Ranging" and "Central Processing Unit"
> > > respectively). The way the string is pronounced determines where an
> > > Acronym is also an Initialism. The pronunciation does NOT prevent a
> > > Initialism from being an Acronym.
> >
> > You have that backwards. Acronyms are a subset of initialisms; not
> > all initialisms are acronyms.
>
> That means that Merriam-Webster's Collegiate also has it wrong
It wouldn't be the first time.
> with their entries of:
>
> INITIALISM
> : an *acronym* formed from initial letters
If that definition is correct, then FBI, RCMP, etc. are not
initialism because they are not words.
> ACRONYM
> : a word (as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or
> letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term
>
> I'm not going to labor the point, but I stick with my original assertion
> that initialisms are acronyms, but not all acronyms are initialisms.
--
Chris F.A. Johnson <http://cfajohnson.com>
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