LINGUIST List 12.1325

Tue May 15 2001

Qs: "Cyber-linguistics"/Acronyms, "Football Eng"

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Larry D. Chong, Cyber linguistics/Acronyms
2. Francesca Viacava, Thesis on football English

Dear Colleagues,

A year ago, I posted one question about the Cyber Acronyms. I am still
doing my research to classify its subcategories. Here I post my
classification thru one European colleague's suggest as follow.

 1. Graphemic abbreviation (abbreviation only on paper, when spoken,
you use the base-form. BTW is not pronounced as 'bee-tee-dabble-u',
but as 'by the way',then it is a graphemic abbreviation, so it is not
a real acronym) ex) e.g., viz, etc., i.e., Ltd., BTW Also here many
subdivisions can be made according to the position of the letters
selected in the original base form (Unicoponetial type/
Multicomponetial type).
 
2. Graphonemic abbreviations ( used in written and spoken language and
can be situated on a phonemic level (e.g. GATT pronounced as 'get') or
on a level in between the graphemicand the phonemic level (e.g. CIA
pronounced as 'see-ai-ei') and not as one word ('seeya'). Graphonemic
is thus the hyperonym of these two cases)
 
1) Unicomponential graphonemic abbreviations (from one component
taken) ex) math (< mathematics, first part of the baseform),
 cello (< violoncello, last part) tec (< detective, mid part) 

2)Multicomponential graphonemic abbreviations (from more than one
component taken)

 2-1) Initial-words (only initials from a word group, pronounced
letter per letter) ex) CIA 'see-ai-ei', BBC 'bee-bee-see', YMCA
'wai-em-see-ei' cyber-ex) ICQ `I seek you', OIC Oh, I see',

 2-2) Acronyms (initials or more material from a word group,
pronounced as a word)

 2.2.1) Pure acronyms (only initials, pronounced as a word) ex)
 GATT 'get', AIDS 'eids'
 
 2.2.2) Impure acronyms (more material than only initials, pronounced
 as a word) ex) radar (< radio detection and ranging) (ra- comes from
 radio)
 
 2-3) cyber acronyms 
 
 ex) RU (are you), U2 (You, too), 4U (For you), L8R (later) 

Now, however, I am struggling to complete my project. If you have any,
please (1) show your point of view and suggestion about my cyber
acronym project and in addition, (2)help me list enough examples for
each case in English and your own languages ( pls scribe them in
English).And also, If anyone who is interested in cyber language wants
to join my project, I'd be happy to send my working paper (rough
idea) to you. 
I am sure I will post the summary for everyone. 


Larry D. Chong, Ph.D.

School of Foreign Languages & Tourism
Kyongju University
42-1, Hyohyundong, Kyoongju, R.O.Korea
Phone 82-54-770-5134
Fax 82-54-748-2812
chongldkyongju.ac.kr
http://www.kyongju.ac.kr/prof/chongld

I'm an Italian student writing a thesis on football
English. I have to analyze the language of radio and
television commentaries: I recorded some football
matches and I try to write a sort of tapescript of
them, but it is quite difficult. Do you know if there
are essays on this subject or if I can find any
commentary transcriptions (also in the web)? 

Thank you 
Francesca Viacava