[Ads-l] Spelling out pronounced acronyms

[Laurence Horn]

> On Aug 20, 2016, at 2:04 PM, Benjamin Barrett <mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> There are a handful of words, such as emcee, that derive from pronouncing out an initialism.
> 
> Lee Daniel Quinn (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__bit.ly_2bqAJcL&d=CwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2B0zUmqBkuAzeQ71wG4ZGUdpzIf-TewWMbUZom2-a_4&s=XAsFYc56yJ04FMs2pHc3fRs-x9MjNDLoWvHkLDhYSCM&e= ) suggests on 4 January 2000 that such words be called vocologues. (Quinn also notes that “okay” does not qualify.)
> 
> On 4 January 2012, wim (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__bit.ly_2bF1v22&d=CwIFaQ&c=-dg2m7zWuuDZ0MUcV7Sdqw&r=wFp3X4Mu39hB2bf13gtz0ZpW1TsSxPIWYiZRsMFFaLQ&m=2B0zUmqBkuAzeQ71wG4ZGUdpzIf-TewWMbUZom2-a_4&s=GLuEjwYWkk5P87Ijx6LJ5SjnAQoHNMp3tXZJEDCdrNo&e= ) proposes the word acronomatopoeia. Sarah agrees with wim’s suggestion, and provides the following examples:
> 
> teevee < TV
> emcee < MC
> deejay < DJ
> veejay < VJ
> Jaycee < JC
> jayvee < JV
> okay < OK (contrary to Quinn above)
> kayo < KO (knockout)
> Arby’s (the fast food chain) < RB’s (Raffel Brothers')
> 
I thought it was > Roast Beef.  Go know!

LH

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org