Query Details
| Query Subject: |
Rules of Etymology of Initialism
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| Author: | Michael Miller | |
| Submitter Email: | click here to access email | |
| Linguistic LingField(s): |
General Linguistics
Morphology |
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| Query: |
Hello,
I am researching the etymology of an initialism for a book that I am writing. The root/source of the initialism I am studying is a combination of previously existing initialisms. The earliest examples of the initialism I am studying are combinations of the previously existing initialisms that use punctuation within the combination. My specific question is: Are these earliest forms of the initialism which are the joining of two previously existing initialisms with an ampersand, a slash, a comma or an "and" valid examples of the current preferred form of the initialism, or by the rules of etymology is the source/origin of the currently preferred form of the initialism found strictly and only in the first use of the currently preferred form of the initialism? And, is there a reference book such as a textbook in which I can find the answer to my question? The specifics: I am researching the origin of the initialism "BDSM". The earliest examples of that initialism are either in the first appearance of the initialism as it appears in usage today, ie., "BDSM" or in usages such as "B&D and S&M", "BD, SM", "B&D/S&M" or even "SM and BD" and so on in which, from the context, the writer intended to speak of the two initialisms (BD and SM) as one concept and as what would now be written as "BDSM". (There are other examples in which BD and SM appear together in a list separated by commas. Those examples, however, from context do not appear to join BD and SM into BDSM. It is simply the case that those two initialisms (BD and SM) appear side-by-side in a list. I do not include those examples in my question. Nor do I perceive those list examples to be valid examples of the origin of the initialism "BDSM" currently in use. If I am mistaken about that, please correct me.) Sources consulted: Gales OED Webster's The Language of Sadomasochism Historical Dictionary of American Slang Various contextual examples of usage Thank you, Michael Miller |
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| LL Issue: | 22.2567 | |
| Date posted: | 20-Jun-2011 | |
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