OT :-) Antedating of "Initialism"

[Joel S. Berson]

At 12/5/2010 10:39 AM, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>Related to "acronym" is the word "initialism," antedated below:
>
>
>initialism (OED 1899)
>
>1870 _Notes and Queries_ 26 Nov. 454  The following is a short list
>of disguised and ungiven authors ... M.A.C. (initialism) -- Miss
>Mary Ann Cursham of Notts.

But isn't this an acronym?  Surely she was called "Mac"!  (I once new
someone with the initials I.C.K. You know what she was called.)

And as for Wiesener's memory, was it not "acronym" that he was trying
to remember, but the older word "initialism", the correct word for "P.G.N."?

Joel

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