Abbreviations, acronyms, shortenings, blends (hybrids)

Abbreviations (graphic shortenings) are made of

 

Initial letters

FM (frequency modulation), CRT (cathode ray tube), ADC (analog-to-digital converter), e.m.f., IT, Al, IС, SQL.

 

Some abbreviated words are called acronyms, they are read and used as regular words:

UNESCO, NATO, AIDS, PLUTO (pipeline under the ocean), DoD (department of defense), UFO.

(IT) ROM, LAN, Ernie (electronic random number indicating equipment), CAD, CAM, DVD, GUI.

(EM) EMF, EMC, FB (fdbk), G, VR, ZF.

Syllables

LORAN (long range navigation), cermet, Compass (computer assurance), sitcom, compander, heliport, stagflation, bit (binary unit), transistor, modem.

Such terms/words are created by agglutination. They are called blends or hybrids.

 

3.3. Letters+words

H-bomb, Y-coordinate, C-span, e-mail, X-rated, CD-player, D-ration, A-D converter, x-y plotter, D-wave, a-life, R-wire, H-visa.

Letters and figures

C-134 (cargo plane), 1-94 card, G7.

Letter domain suffixes

.com (commerce),.пот (individuals),.edu (education),.net,.mil,.gov (government).

Curtailed words/shortenings

Prop(ellor), op(us), pro(fessional), vet, photo, kilo, metro, spec, perm, deli, info, fab, doc, flu, decaf, recap, celeb, shute.

 

There is always a tendency to grind down a technical term to indispensable nucleus. Suppose the head of a lab asks, "Have you investigated the solid state monolithic integrated circuits?" The engineer answers, "We have subjected 20 solid state monolithic integrated circuits to life tests". One can predict that with time the term will be abridged first to monolithic integrated circuit and then to integrated circuit, 1С or circuit (the latter is ambiguous). Then comes a genius and calls the whole thing chip and it becomes the "assumed" technical term.

This also happens to shop terms, e.g. a commutator of the d.c. motor needs repairs, which consist of turning, grinding, polishing, undercutting mica, cleaning. To name all operations each time is impossible, so they were put together and named in one word facelifting.

False cognates

Physician, fabric, scenario, candidate, turnkey, etc.

 

Compile your glossary of False Cognates/False Friends of Translator.

Exercises

5.1. Isencop: tasks 4-14 pp. 92-106 (to the teacher's choice).

The presentation assignment

Explain a technical term. Select a term that you might actually need to explain. Find an example to clarify your explanation. Use visual aids. Use familiar to explain something unfamiliar.

 

Fission and fusion, real image and virtual image, elastic and plastic, anode and cathode, a and /3 decay, matter and vacuum, local length and focal plane, absolute error and relative error.

Fission – the spontaneous or induced disintegration of the nucleus of a heavy atom into 2 lighter atoms. The process involves a loss of mass which is converted into nuclear energy.

Fusion – the process of forming atoms of new elements by the fusion of atoms of lighter ones. Usually the formation of helium by the fusion of H and its isotopes. The process involves a loss of mass which is converted into nuclear energy.

 

Translate terms of different branches of science

Simple terms

(IT): mapping, jam, glitch, zoom, access, buffer, byte, clone, digital:

(HE): circuit, turbine, coil, core, plant, installation, gear, leg, condenser, freezer.

(EC): share, stock, account, ship, interest, slump, teller, validity, assets, sales.

(PR): image, publicity, promotion, demotion, nepotism, patronage, the media, response.

(S): identity, integrity, attitude, class, ageism, gender, occupation, census, holistic.

(EM): impedance, gate, capacitor, gear, harmonics, loop, tripping.

Compound terms

(IT): workstation, multitasking, online, offset, feedback, turnkey, layout, flowchart, anti-spam.

(HE): feedwater, thermocouple, interlocked, self-propelled, vibration-proof, manifold.

(EC): welfare, overdraft, off-license, laissez-faire, by-product, undersell, turnover.

(PR): word-of-mouth, telemarketing, par-value, show-off, edbiz, leadership, self-image.

(S): self-perception, prototype, household, birthrate, breakdown, workaholic.

(EM): flywheel, microprocessor, bandwidth, switchgear, servo-mechanism

Term collocations

(IT): batch processing, sampling rate, charge-coupled device, nested task, bit-oriented protocol, binary-coded decimal, advanced feature service provider.

(HE): site licence, stack disposal, uniformly retarded motion, specific heat capacity, melting point, pumped heating, underfloor heating, guide value.

(EC): affiliated company, after-sale service, bear market, carte blanche, consumer durables, economies of scale, face value, actors of production, fair-trade agreement.

(PR): blanket coverage, performance appraisal, Peter principle, order of merit, down shifting, head hunting, hard sell, insider information, canned slogan.

(S): reference group, Gallup poll, gender gap, peer pressure, physically challenged, piggyback principle, identity crisis, social worker, dissenting opinion.

(EM): input offset voltage, frequency response, feedback resistor, partial discharge, overload restriction level.