Earliest Acronym

[Joel S. Berson]

What about the 18th century "texting" abbreviations?  Do those not
count as acronyms?

Joel

At 12/2/2010 02:32 PM, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>I apologize if someone else has already pointed this out, but Bill's
>second citation below is very significant in that it may establish
>the claim that SCOTUS is the earliest known acronym in the English
>language (although, depending on the precise definition of
>"acronym," there are some other abbreviations in the 1879 Phillips
>Telegraphic Code that may be tied with SCOTUS for this honor).
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>
>
>________________________________________
>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
>Mullins, Bill AMRDEC [Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL]
>Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 11:02 AM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: Antedating SCOTUS (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
>
>Walter P. Phillips _The Phillips Telegraphic Code for the Rapid
>Transmission by Telegraph_ Wash, DC:  Gibson Brothers, 1879.
>
>
>p. 59 col 2:
>"Pot -- President of the."
>
>p. 65 col 2:
>"Scotus -- Supreme Court of the United States"
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mullins, Bill AMRDEC
> > Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 9:27 AM
> > To: 'American Dialect Society'
> > Subject: Antedating SCOTUS (UNCLASSIFIED)
> >
> > Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> > Caveats: NONE
> >
> > _Milwaukee [WI] Sentinel_ 12/6/1891, p 10 col 1 [Gale 19th Cent
>newspapers]
> >
> > "For instance, the receiver's sounder will tick out the letters
>"scotus."
> > There is no meaning in this combination of letters, but the operator
>gets a
> > hustle upon himself as soon as he hears it and writes down, "the
>Supreme court
> > of the United states." "
> >
> > _Charlotte [NC] Observer_ 10/18/1892 p 1 col 4 [GenealogyBank]
> >
> > "The case then came to Scotus.  The case was argued last Tuesday."
> >
> >
> > >
> > > A slightly earlier cite is found at America's GenealogyBank.
> > > 14 April 1895, _Birmingham(AL) Age-Herald_ 21/3
> > >
> > > Talking about the United Press "code" in use for about seven years
>on the
> > > telegraph-to-newspaper circuit.
> > >
> > > "In addition the more frequent phrases are skeletonized to the limit
>of
> > > safety.  "Scotus" is "supreme court of the United States;" "potus,"
> > > "president of the United States;"
> > >
> > >
> > Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> > Caveats: NONE
> >
>
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
>
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>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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