But even the English language can present similar challenges. Among the frustrating things I encounter in my own genealogical research are abbreviations and acronyms. Writers sometimes assume that everyone knows what they mean when they use a specific abbreviation, and acronyms are alphabet soup to many of us. Unless you know the jargon, you may be left in the dark. In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's talk about abbreviations and the role they play in your research.

What Are Abbreviations?
The answer to this question may seem pretty obvious, but there really is more to an abbreviation than you think. We think of an abbreviation as a shortened form of a word or phrase. In fact, there are really four forms of abbreviations.

The first is a SHORTENING of a word, where the first few letters are used to represent the entire word, such as photo for photograph. Sometimes the words are followed by a period to indicate the shortened form of a word, such as ca. for circa, abt. for about, and et al. for and others (short for et alii).

The second is a CONTRACTION of a word, where so-called meaningful letters are used and apostrophes are used to replace the missing letters. An example of this would be att'y, which is a contraction for attorney.

A third type of abbreviation is the use of the INITIAL LETTERS of words, usually pronounced separately and delimited with or without periods. Examples include D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution), the LDS (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), or perhaps the K of P (Knights of Pythias). This can also be referred to as an acronym.

The fourth type of abbreviation is an ACRONYM that becomes a unique word unto itself, and its full form is only used to explain it fully in context. Examples of this type would include AMVETS (American Veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam) and GEDCOM (Genealogy Electronic Data COMunication, a standard format for the exchange of computerized genealogical database extract files).

Recognizing that there are multiple forms of terms of abbreviation is a part of the battle won, and knowing that sometimes terms contain periods and/or apostrophes and other times they aren't used, may help you in your quest to find reference materials defining the terms.

Common and Not So Common Abbreviations
As we conduct research in old documents, we often encounter abbreviations and acronyms—some common and familiar and others that are quite confounding. The following are twelve examples I have come across recently in both documents and transcriptions. Test yourself to see how many you recognize and understand. (The answers appear at the end of the column.)

1. dft
2. inst.
3. d/o
4. guar
5. rel/o
6. dto
7. wdr
8. /s/
9. nd
10. tent
11. i.a.
12. ETO

A Great New Reference Resource
I knew you couldn't wait! You just had to look. And how many of these abbreviations did you know? When I am researching and come across an abbreviation I've never seen before, I have to stop and look it up—that is, if I'm at the library. At a courthouse, I may ask a clerk if he/she knows the meaning of the term. Otherwise, I may have to transcribe or copy the document and look up the term later. Then, however, I may be elsewhere and unable to return to the original and re-read the material in light of the abbreviation's context.

There are many resources available for locating and translating most of the abbreviations you encounter. A large dictionary that includes standard terms as well as legal and medical abbreviations can be a helpful resource. There is, however, a brand new reference resource to help genealogists, historians, and reference librarians wade through the morass of alphabet soup. Kip Sperry has compiled an excellent new book, Abbreviations & Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians. The book is a terrific collection of abbreviations, contractions, acronyms, and terms found in the documents and literature we work with on a regular basis. There are many common abbreviations and examples, and some moderate to very obscure examples. Also included are special symbols, tables of weights and measures, and tables of Roman, cardinal, and ordinal numbers. With all of this information in a compact, two hundred-page, paperbound book, I for one will be taking this book with me to courthouses and other research venues.

I won't tell you to memorize all of the abbreviations you encounter. Some, like ca., are so frequently found that they will become ingrained in your mind. Others are so obscure as to show up only once or twice in your entire research life. It is important, however, to take the time to define the abbreviations in order to fully understand the content and context of the document you are studying.

Happy Hunting!

George

Answers
1. dft = defendant (legal term for person accused of and on trial for a crime)
2. inst. = short for instant or this month (term often used in public announcements of births, marriages or deaths in newspapers, church bulletins, and other publications)
3. d/o = daughter of
4. guar = guardian, guarantee, guarantor
5. rel/o = relict of (widow of)
6. dto = ditto (notation often found in census forms to denote the same surname, the same place of birth, or other identical information in successive written lines)
7. wdr = widower
8. /s/ = signed by (notation used in some transcriptions or abstractions)
9. nd = no date
10. tent = tenant or tenement
11. i.a. = in absentia (Latin term meaning in the absence of the person(s) concerned)
12. ETO = European Theater of Operations (the area in Europe, stretching from the Netherlands to the Mediterranean Sea, in which the Allied Forces fought against the Axis powers during World War II)

Bibliography
Sperry, Kip. Abbreviations & Acronyms: A Guide for Family Historians. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc. 2000.
Click here to buy this publication online.

Copyright 2000, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved.

George G. Morgan is a proud member of the Council of Genealogy Columnists. He would like to hear from you at atl@ahaseminars.com but, due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. George is also the author of The Genealogy Forum on America Online, which is available in the Ancestry Online Store.