entry
abbreviation
/əˌbriːviˈeɪʃən/Shortened form of a word or phrase
From Latin abbreviate (to shorten) + Greek ion (going).
from Late Latin abbreviationem (nominative abbreviatio ), noun of action
from Old French abréviation (15c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English abbreviacioun
from Old French abréviation (15c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English abbreviacioun
from Late Latin abbreviationem (nominative abbreviatio ), noun of action
Word Ancestry
from Late Latin abbreviationem (nominative abbreviatio ), noun of action
from Old French abréviation (15c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English abbreviacioun
from Old French abréviation (15c.) and directly
+1 more sourcefrom Middle English abbreviacioun
from Late Latin abbreviationem (nominative abbreviatio ), noun of action
Scribes in the 1400s had a practical problem: parchment was expensive, and long words were little space-eaters. So English picked up a learned Latin noun, abbreviation, from abbreviare, built on brevis, the same family that gives us brief and brevity. That makes the word feel almost tailor-made for GRE vocabulary: one little stem about “shortness,” then a polished Latin ending that turns an action into a thing. The funny part is that the chemistry suffix -ion comes from Greek “going,” as in ions moving toward a charge, so the spelling of abbreviation is wearing a completely different historical hat on its tail. In other words, this is a word about cutting things down that still arrives dressed in scholarly robes.
The Story
Scribes in the 1400s had a practical problem: parchment was expensive, and long words were little space-eaters. So English picked up a learned Latin noun, abbreviation, from abbreviare, built on brevis, the same family that gives us brief and brevity. That makes the word feel almost tailor-made for GRE vocabulary: one little stem about “shortness,” then a polished Latin ending that turns an action into a thing. The funny part is that the chemistry suffix -ion comes from Greek “going,” as in ions moving toward a charge, so the spelling of abbreviation is wearing a completely different historical hat on its tail. In other words, this is a word about cutting things down that still arrives dressed in scholarly robes.
Kin & Kindred
From 'abbreviate'·to shorten, make brief
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'ion'·going
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Wikipedia