Miranda: Revue Pluridisciplinaire du Monde Anglophone (Dec 2012)
Small is beautiful: from initials to words
Abstract
With the ‘electronic revolution’ and the internationalisation of English, we are witnessing a rapid increase of acronyms and abbreviations. These forms fulfil a vital function of modern communicative needs: they are compact (in their short form), yet precise (in their full form), they can be mysterious and esoteric, yet common and widespread. Using a corpus study approach, this paper will discuss how one of the most productive and creative word-formation processes in modern English makes use of the initials of longer phrases to form new words, with particular attention to circularity. The main focus will be on how these formations lend themselves to ironic reinterpretation by language users once they have lost their primary motivation, such as Fiat ‘Fix it again, Tony’. Another aspect which will be discussed is the creation of reverse acronyms, such as PIN and PEN, as intentionally created, that is, ‘engineered’ formations. The semantic flexibility of acronyms can be used for mnemonic purposes and for effect, and it might explain why acronymy has recently experienced such a surge in popularity, especially in the media and in electronic communication. This flexibility and variability relies on the multifunctionality of initials as the smallest word-formation elements below the morpheme level: the submorphemic elements ‘stand for’ the longer words they represent but they are, at the same time, independent enough to be used in new interpretations.
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