Morphology: Acronyms

Mummy, where do new words come from?

Acronyms

Word made from all or most of

the letters in a name or phrase

Radar

radio detecting and ranging apparatus

Scuba

Self-contained underwater

breathing apparatus

What are some more acronyms?

NASA

Radar

Scuba

How are these ones different?

Why are abbreviations

such as “HMSO” or

“GPS” not acronyms?

Because they are not said as words

Is this an acronym or an initialism?

BRBNASACSIRORAMDSLDVDTV

Image credits

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/leszekleszczynski/4815256697/

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcmom/63762918/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/spcbrass/4639124177/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/joc67/774419510/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelinlibrarian/3092069651/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/blankdots/3693697370/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/breakdecks/3039873147/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/4105038295/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/42682395@N04/4981153823/• http://www.flickr.com/photos/miss_pink_26/3820486990/