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06-06-2006, 11:26 PM #15
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Thanked: 0Originally Posted by halwilson
An abbreviation is a neologism that creates a shorter form of some longer word or phrase. For example, "str8" would be a popular abbreviation for the phrase "straight razor".
An acronym is, clearly, an abbreviation, because it takes a phrase and makes it shorter and more memorable. However, it does so through a very specific mechanism: it takes the first letter or letters from the major words of a compound phrase and combines them into a new word. In most cases, this word is also a neologism in that it doesn't usually form an acronymic word that's also a normal word.
Laser, formerly LASER, is an acronym: Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Similarly, CIA: Central Intelligence Agency.
FFTH is clearly an acronym and not merely an abbreviation because it draws its meaning from the initial letters of "Fresh From The Hone".