For shorthand marks in Latin inscription and manuscripts, see Scribal abbreviation.
This is a list of common Latin abbreviations. Nearly all the abbreviations below have been adopted by Modern English. However, with some exceptions (for example, versus or modus operandi), most of the Latin referent words and phrases are perceived as foreign to English. In a few cases, English referents have replaced the original Latin ones (e.g., "rest in peace" for RIP and "postscript" for PS).
Latin was once the universal academic language in Europe. From the 18th century, authors started using their mother tongues to write books, papers or proceedings. Even when Latin fell out of use, many Latin abbreviations continued to be used due to their precise simplicity and Latin's status as a learned language.[citation needed]
Used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The AD or the Christian calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with AD counting years after the start of this epoch, and BC counting years before the start of the epoch. Example: "The United States Civil War began in AD 1861."
Confer is an imperative form of the Latin verb conferre.[3] Used interchangeably with "cp." in citations indicating the reader should compare a statement with that from the cited source. It is also widely used as an abbreviation for "see", although some styles recommend against such use. Example: "These results were similar to those obtained using different techniques (cf. Wilson, 1999 and Ansmann, 1992)."
Commonly used in economics, ceteris paribus allows for supply and demand models to reflect specific variables. If one assumes that the only thing changing is, say, the price of wheat, then demand and supply will both be affected appropriately. While this is simplification of actual dynamic market models, it makes learning economic theory easier.
A document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. The exact usage of the term varies between British English and American English. The singular form is never vita. Curriculum is already singular, vitae is genitive from vita, i.e., "of life", despite the plural-appearing vitae modifier. The true plural is curricula vitae.[5]
"and the others", "and other things", "and the rest"[1]
Other archaic abbreviations include "&c.", "&/c.", "&e.", "&ct.", and "&ca." Example: "I need to go to the store and buy some pie, milk, cheese, etc." Because cetera implies inanimate objects, et al. is preferred when speaking of people.
Introduces an example (as opposed to an explanation): "The shipping company instituted a surcharge on any items weighing over a ton; e.g., a car or truck."
fac.
ex post facto
"after the fact", "retroactive"
Used similarly to "retroactive". Example: "The sentiment that ex post facto laws are against natural right is so strong in the United States, that few, if any, of the State constitutions have failed to proscribe them." —Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Isaac McPherson, August 13, 1813
Followed by the dates during which the person, usually famous, was active and productive in his/her profession. Typically used when the person's dates of birth and death are unknown.[1]
It is used to avoid repeating the name of a male author (in citations, footnotes, bibliographies, etc.) When quoting a female author, use the corresponding feminine form, ead. (eadem), "the same" (woman).
"that is", "in other words",[1] "is equivalent" (mnemonic)
Introduces an explanation (as opposed to an example): "For reasons not fully understood there is only a minor PSI contribution to the variable fluorescence emission of chloroplasts (Dau, 1994), i.e., the PSI fluorescence appears to be independent from the state of its reaction centre (Butler, 1978)." See also the note for sc.
The "LL" of the abbreviation for the degree is from the genitive plural legum (singular: lex or legis, for law), thus "LLB" stands for Legum Baccalaureus in Latin. Where periods are used, it is "LL.B." In the United States it was sometimes erroneously called "Bachelor of Legal Letters" to account for the double "L" (and therefore sometimes wrongly abbreviated as "L.L.B.").
Means in the same place (i.e., page or section) in an article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It differs from "op. cit." in that the latter may refer to a different page or section in the previously cited work.
A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in fine art, humanities, social science or theology and can be either fully taught, research-based, or a combination of the two.
In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, it is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine and is usually for programs that are more focused on scientific and mathematical subjects. However, different universities have different conventions and may also offer the degree for fields typically considered within the humanities and social sciences.
Some people use "Note" for the same purpose.[1] Usually written with majuscule (upper case, or capital) letters. Example: "NB: All the measurements have an accuracy of within 5% as they were calibrated according to the procedure described by Jackson (1989)."
The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. con." simply means that nobody voted against. Thus there may have been abstentions from the vote.[citation needed]
Means in the same article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. It is most often used in citations in a similar way to "ibid", though "ibid" would usually be followed by a page number.
OV
orthographiae variae
"various spellings"
Used in historical research where spellings of names varied, such as genealogy tables and ancestry charts, for example when MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are used by different members of the same family, or even by the same person at different times (before spellings were standardized). See also Orthographical variant.
As used in standard medical jargon, PRN is understood to mean "as needed". This reading of the abbreviation implies that the delivery of the prescription (by a suitable person, following a medications protocol) is done in a reactive, passive way, e.g., "when that happens, do this". A more literal translation of the Latin is "before a thing is born", which is an instruction to act pro-actively, e.g., "before that happens, do this". A PRN medication delivery is therefore properly done when a physician judges that it should be done, in order to prevent a specified problem from occurring. Oversimplifying, a patient's breakfast could be written as a PRN prescription: give this breakfast to that patient, to prevent that patient from experiencing hunger.
Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter. Example (in a letter format): "Sincerely, John Smith. PS Tell mother I say hello!"
PPS
post post scriptum
"post-postscript"
Used to indicate additions after a postscript. Sometimes extended to comical length with PPPS, PPPPS, and so on.
Imperative,[1] used after a term or phrase that should be looked up elsewhere in the current document or book. For more than one term or phrase, the plural qq.v. is used.
Often used to prefix the subject of traditional letters and memoranda. However, when used in an e-mail subject, there is evidence that it functions as an abbreviation of "reply" rather than the word meaning "in the matter of". Nominative case singular 'res' is the Latin equivalent of 'thing'; singular 're' is the ablative case required by 'in'. Some people believe that it is short for 'regarding', especially if it is followed by a colon (i.e., "Re:").
Reg.
regina
"queen"
A part of the monarch's title. It is found on all British coins minted during the reign of a monarch who is a queen. Rex, "king" (not an abbreviation) is used when the reigning monarch is a king.
r.
regnavit, or, more rarely, rexit
"he/she reigned", "he/she ruled"
Often abbreviated as "r." followed by the dates during which the king or queen reigned/ruled, as opposed to the monarch's dates of birth and death. Often used parenthetically after the monarch's name.
RIP
requiescat in pace, requiescant in pace
"may he/she rest in peace", "may they rest in peace"
Used as a short prayer for a dead person, frequently found on tombstones. This prayer's English equivalent would be rest in peace. Example: "RIP, good grandmother."
"it is permitted to know", "one may know", "to wit"
Sc. provides a parenthetic clarification, removes an ambiguity, or supplies a word omitted in preceding text, while viz. is usually used to elaborate or detail text which precedes it. Sc. and viz. are not to be confused with i.e. (id est), equivalent to "that is". Their meanings are similar, but there is a distinction which should be observed: sc. and viz. introduce a clarification, while i.e. introduces an equivalence.
Used when quoting text that contains some form of mistake, to show that the mistake was in the original work and is not a misquotation. Sic is also often used to indicate surprise or incredulity, or maliciously, to draw attention to an author's mistake.
"namely", "to wit", "precisely", "that is to say"[1]
In contradistinction to "i.e." and "e.g.", "viz." is used to indicate a detailed description of something stated before, and when it precedes a list of group members, it implies (near) completeness. Example: "The noble gases, viz. helium, neon, argon, xenon, krypton and radon, show a non-expected behaviour when exposed to this new element." See also sc.
Sometimes is not abbreviated. Example: "The next football game will be the Knights vs. the Sea Eagles." English law uses v without a full stop (period), never vs, and is read as against (in criminal cases) or and (in civil cases); for example, "R[egina] v Gadd" (a criminal case) is read as "The Crown against Gadd." In Scots Law, the v is read "against"; for example, "Donoghue v Stevenson" is pronounced "Donoghue against Stevenson." US law usually uses v. with a full stop (period), and is typically read as "v" or "versus"; an exception is before the Supreme Court of the United States, which follows the English style on this point and does not include a full stop (period) after the "v".[8]
List of less-common abbreviations and usages
Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often.
Refers to the founding of Rome, which occurred in 753 BC according to Livy's count. Used as a reference point in ancient Rome for establishing dates, before being supplanted by other systems. Also anno Urbis conditae (AUC) ("in the year that the City [Rome] was founded"). For example, the year 2007 AD is the year 2761 ab Urbe condita (753 + 1 + 2007 = 2761); though, rigorously speaking, the year AUC begins on April 21, the birthday of Rome (i.e., the day that Romulus was traditionally believed to have founded the Eternal City). (The reason for adding 1 to 753 is that the Romans counted dates "inclusively," i.e., including both the first and the last day or year in the count.)
An undergraduate bachelor's degree that is awarded for academic programs adjacent to mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. It generally lasts three to five years.
c
cum
"with"
Usually found in medical shorthand.
CC.
Civis in plural
"citizens"
Abbreviation for Citizens (plural of citizen). Usually found in legal documents in Civil law countries.
Used when referring the reader to a passage beginning in a certain place, and continuing, e.g., "p.6 et seqq." means "page 6 and the pages that follow". Use et seqq. or et sequa. if "the following" is plural.
"having changed what needs to be changed", "once the necessary changes have been made"
Used in many countries to acknowledge that a comparison being made requires certain obvious alterations, which are left unstated. It is not to be confused with the similar ceteris paribus, which excludes any changes other than those explicitly mentioned.
Used in several related senses such as "in the sense of" or "in accordance with". For example, in taxonomy "...sec. Smith..." typically would mean something like: "...in accordance with the ideas of Smith in this matter..."
