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RE: [xml-dev] Is "XML" an abbreviation or an acronym?

From: "Michael Kay" <mike@--------.--->
To: <mike@--------.--.-->,<xml-dev@-----.---.--->
Date: 8/25/2008 5:34:00 PM
> 
> The definition starts "acronym - a word formed..." seems to 
> me to a clear statement that it must be a word.

You are reading that as "a thing is an acronym if (a) it is a word, and (b)
it is formed ..."

But I think the correct reading is constructive rather than restrictive: One
way of forming new words is to construct them from the initial letters of a
phrase, and we call a word that is formed in that way an acronym.

I think the only clear thing to emerge from this ludicrous discussion is
that acronyms are distinguished from other kinds of abbreviation mainly by
the way that they are pronounced. So use <abbr>SQL</abbr> if you want you
audio-browser to say ess-cue-ell, and use <acronym>SQL</acronym> if you want
it to say "Sequel". In the case of XML, use <abbr>.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/


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