Latin Abbreviations In English

Latin Abbreviations In English

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Some find them outdated and archaic, but they are still very much around, and just won’t go away: Latin abbreviations in English!
While most of them tend to be used in formal, academic writing, a number of them feature in everyday spoken language, as well: a.m. and p.m. in reference to time, AD when talking about the Common Era, etc. (See what I’ve just done?) A number of Latin abbreviations have become so common that in many cases native speakers don’t even know where they come from and exactly what did they stand for originally – unless they’ve had some Latin in school.
All these abbreviations can be seen as a relic of a bygone era – a time when Latin was the language of science and learning: from the late antiquity over the middle ages down to the early modern period – in some countries even later. That status is gone, sadly, but the traces left by the Latin language, and the culture(s) that heavily relied on it, are still present everywhere you look; these abbreviations are just one small example.
English learners should familiarise themselves with the more common ones, as they will encounter them from time to time, particularly in formal writing. In this article we’ll have a look at only ten (not all of them very formal), illustrating different conventions when it comes to how they are used, abbreviated, or said out loud.
Let the countdown begin – here’s my list of top 10 Latin abbreviations in English!
“Everton vs Liverpool”. “The People v. O. J. Simpson”. From the world of sports to court procedures, the meaning is clear from the context. The letter v stands for the Latin word versus – “against”, [ˈvɜː(r)səs]. You’ll find this abbreviation written in any of the following four ways: v., v, vs., vs.
This quite formal abbreviation stands for the Latin phrase inter alia [ˌɪntə(r) ˈeɪliə], meaning “among other things” (which is how you would normally say it). For example, this blog is dedicated to language, culture, and literature, i.a. In all honesty, you would rarely find it used like that; nowadays it’s largely restricted to legal English.
Another abbreviation used in formal, mainly academic writing. It stand for the Latin imperative verb confer = “compare”, and you’ll frequently find it in footnotes and comments where an author recommends another source or piece of information that should be consulted for comparison or contrast.
Another Latin imperative; N.B. stand for nota bene = “note well”. An author might use it in formal writing when they wish to point out a particularly important piece of information.
You’ve just signed a contract worth $3.600 p.a. Is that a lot? Well, let’s see: p.a. stands for per annum [pər ˈænəm] = “each year, yearly”. Nowadays its use is largely limited to business English.
One of my favourite historical figures, Hildegard of Bingen, was born c. 1098. When exactly? We don’t know, but that year is a fair estimate. The letter c. stands for circa [ˈsɜːkə] = “about, around”, and it’s used to give an approximation, often relating to a date.
Another abbreviation that you’ll see in formal / academic writing, especially in citation. It stands for “and others”, which can be – depending on the grammatical gender, any of the following three forms in Latin: et alii (m.), et aliae (f.), et alia (n.). This may look like pedantry, but there is an interesting convention with regards to the use of comma before et al. : when we use it after referencing only one name, comma is not used; for instance, “The book was written by Wood et al.” If there’s more than one name mentioned, a comma is inserted before et al. : “This study was written by Wood, Michaelson, et al.” Referencing conventions can be a bit of a nightmare; if you’re submitting for publication, do make sure you follow standard rules, however strange they may seem.
This one stands for the Latin phrase id est , simply meaning “that is”. You can say it like that, or just spell the initials [ˌaɪ ˈiː]. Note that in two-word Latin abbreviations there are typically no spaces between letters and dots in writing.
Frequently used, e.g. stands for the Latin phrase exempli gratia = “for example, for instance”, which is how it’s usually said. You can also spell the initials: [iːˈdʒiː].
Unlike most of the previous examples, this abbreviation is commonly said using the full Latin phrase, although there are several suitable English phrases. E t cetera [ɪtˈset.ər.ə] means “and so on”, “and so forth”, “and other similar things”. You will also see it written like this: etc, et cet., &c, &c.
If you have a good ear, you might have noticed a contemporary phonetic change in how many people pronounce this phrase, namely as [ɪkˈset.ər.ə], with a K sound instead of a T. This is becoming so pervasive that some native speakers of English are convinced that this happens to be the correct way of pronouncing it. Who knows, it might become the standard one some day, but for now this is a case of hypercorrection on their part.
The following Wikipedia entry contains a list of common – and not so common – Latin abbreviations in English. It might come in handy!
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The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.

Here are seven Latin abbreviations that you have certainly seen and probably know because we use these ones all the time. Their full forms and meanings are given below.

A.M., P.M. / B.A., B.Sc. / e.g., i.e. / P.S.

Many Latin abbreviations are still used in English today, though usually in writing. This page lists some of the more common Latin abbreviations, with meanings and explanations. Although you may not need to use Latin abbreviations yourself, it's useful to be able to recognise them.
© 1997-2022 EnglishClub.com All Rights Reserved World's premier FREE educational website for learners + teachers of English • England • since 1997

N.S. Gill is a Latinist, writer, and teacher of ancient history and Latin. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise.

Gill, N.S. "Common Latin Abbreviations Used in English." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/useful-common-latin-abbreviations-120581.
Gill, N.S. (2020, August 26). Common Latin Abbreviations Used in English. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-common-latin-abbreviations-120581
Gill, N.S. "Common Latin Abbreviations Used in English." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/useful-common-latin-abbreviations-120581 (accessed October 14, 2022).

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In this list of common Latin abbreviations you'll find what they stand for and how they're used. The first list is alphabetical, but the definitions that follow are linked thematically. For instance, p.m. follows a.m.

A.D. stands for Anno Domini 'in the year of our Lord' and refers to events after the birth of Christ. It is used as part of a pair with B.C. Here is an example:

A.D. traditionally precedes the date, but this is changing.

A.M. stands for ante meridiem and is sometimes abbreviated a.m. or am. A.M. means before noon and refers to morning. It starts just after midnight.

P.M. stands for post meridiem and is sometimes abbreviated p.m. or pm. P.M. refers to afternoon and evening. P.M. starts just after noon.

The very familiar Latin abbreviation etc. stands for et cetera 'and the rest' or 'and so forth'. In English, we use the word etcetera or et cetera without necessarily being aware it is actually Latin.

If you want to say 'for example,' you would use 'e.g.' Here is an example:

If you want to say 'that is,' you would use 'i.e.' Here is an example:

Ibid., from ibidem means 'the same' or 'in the same place.' You would use ibid. to refer to the same author and work (e.g., book, html page, or journal article) as the one immediately preceding.

Op. cit. comes from the Latin opus citatum or opere citato 'work cited.' Op. cit. is used when ibid. is inappropriate because the immediately preceding work is not the same. You would only use op. cit. if you have already cited the work in question.

To refer to a certain page or passage and those that follow it, you may find the abbreviation 'et seq.' This abbreviation ends in a period.

The abbreviation sc. or scil. means 'namely'. Wikipedia says it is in the process of being replaced by i.e.

You would use q.v. if you wanted to make reference to something elsewhere in your paper; while c.f. would be more appropriate for a comparison with an outside work.

Home / Tips & Tools / Latin Terms and Abbreviations
In your college career, you will encounter the abbreviations e.g. and i.e. E.g. is a Latin abbreviation that means “for example” and often appears before lists. I.e. is another Latin abbreviation that means “in other words,” “namely,” or “which is to say.” Use e.g. when introducing a non-exhaustive list of examples and i.e. when rephrasing the exact same idea in different words. The rest of this handout explains these and many other Latin abbreviations you might see, such as etc., N.B, cf., sic, versus, circa, et al., ibid. and id., and more.
Despite the fact that Latin is no longer the international language of scholars, bits and pieces of it can still be found scattered around. Some of these bits are very common and are even seen in non-academic writing, while others are much more obscure.
Simply knowing what an abbreviation stands for and how to translate the underlying Latin words does not necessarily tell you how the abbreviation is used in actual modern practice. These little remnants of Latin have had a long and colorful life separated from their original language and context.
There are a few generally accepted rules that apply to most Latin abbreviations. The major style manuals (MLA, APA and Chicago) agree that Latin abbreviations should be kept out of the main body of a text-that is, they should not appear in ordinary sentences within ordinary paragraphs. Certain abbreviations may be used in parentheses within the body of a text (etc., e.g., i.e.), but the rest should appear only in footnotes, endnotes, tables, and other forms of documentation. One notable exception: APA style allows writers to use the abbreviation et al. when discussing works with multiple authors and v. in the titles of court cases.
Except for N.B., none of the abbreviations we’re about to discuss need to be italicized or capitalized.
While it’s perfectly acceptable to use English phrases instead of Latin abbreviations, there’s a reason why these abbreviations have survived and continue to be used today: they contain a lot of meaning in a very small package. It takes less time and fewer characters to write e.g. than “for example.” As an added bonus, using Latin abbreviations correctly can make your writing sound more sophisticated and scholarly.
Even if you decide that you don’t want to use Latin abbreviations in your own writing, you’re still going to encounter them in other texts. Knowing what these abbreviations mean and how they are used is crucial to understanding and interpreting these works.
The average person could go through life never having to worry about most Latin abbreviations, but there are three that have become so widespread that they’re impossible to avoid: etc., i.e. and e.g. These are also the most often misused Latin abbreviations. Let’s take a look at each of them, what they mean and how they can be used.
The abbreviation etc. stands for et cetera, which translates literally as “and others” or “and the rest.” A more useful translation that can be substituted for etc. (especially when reading aloud) is “and so on.” It is used at the end of a list to indicate that there are more elements to the list that are being left out so that the list doesn’t become too long. For example:
All of the objects in our solar system (planets, comets, etc.) orbit the sun.
Many other examples could be included in a list of objects in our solar system (like asteroids and moons), but it would take too much space and time to list them all. Also, listing them all wouldn’t add much to the sentence-readers don’t need to know the identity of every object orbiting the sun in order to understand the sentence.
In lists where you use etc., be sure all the listed items are of the same kind. If you wrote the following sentence, your readers might have a hard time telling what “etc.” is substituting for because some of the items listed are objects, while others are people or activities:
I’m very interested in astronomy—planets, stargazing, Carl Sagan, etc.
When etc. is used at the end of a list, it should be preceded by a comma just like the other elements of the list. It should never have the word “and” before it: the Latin word et has already got that covered.
These are the two most often misused and confused Latin abbreviations-and for good reason. In any given sentence, it’s often not immediately clear how i.e. and e.g. are different. Both appear inside parentheses and offer extra information that helps explain what’s come before. There is, however, a very important and useful difference between these two abbreviations.
The abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which translates literally as “for the sake of an example”-but you can really just cut out the stuff in the middle and read it as “for example.” It is used to give an example or set of examples to help clarify the preceding idea. In general, if you use e.g., you should provide one or two short examples. More can be used, but only if they are simple and can be expressed in a single word or short phrase. It isn’t necessary to use etc. at the end of a list following e.g.; it’s understood that there are more examples than those that you’ve given. You should not list all of the possible examples.
The abbreviation i.e. stands for id est, which translates literally as “that is.” Sometimes it might be more useful, however, to translate it as “what that means is” or “that is to say.” This abbreviation is used to clarify the preceding idea by restating it more simply or in different terms. Strictly speaking, what follows i.e. in parentheses should be equivalent to what comes before-you should be able to switch them without changing the meaning of the sentence. If this involves making a list, you should include all of the elements that make up that list. It might be useful to think of i.e. as representing an equal sign (=). This will help you remember that i.e. stands for a strict equivalence.
Let’s look at some examples of how to use i.e. and e.g. correctly:
YES: The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury) are closest to our sun.
NO: The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury) are closest to our sun.
Mercury is not equivalent to the rocky planets-they’re not the same thing. Mercury is just one example of a rocky planet, therefore e.g. is appropriate.
YES: The rocky planets (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are closest to our sun.
YES: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars (i.e., the rocky planets) are closest to our sun.
NO: The rocky planets (e.g., Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) are closest to our sun.
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are all of the examples of rocky planets in our solar system (they are a full and complete list, not just a few examples), so e.g. should not be used. Instead, use i.e. to show that the list of four planets is equivalent to the rocky planets-they refer to the same thing. Notice that switching the rocky planets and Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence.
In some instances, i.e. and e.g. may both be acceptable, but using one or the other will drastically change the meaning of the sentence. For example:
Farmer Brown sells his produce (e.g., apples, oranges, carrots) at the market.
Farmer Brown sells his produce (i.e., apples, oranges, carrots) at the market.
In the first sentence, the use of e.g. tells the reader that Farmer Brown sells many different types of produce, including apples oranges and carrots. The information contained in the parentheses provides a few examples to help clarify the meaning of produce. In the second sentence, the use of i.e. tells the reader that Farmer Brown sells only apples, oranges and carrots -nothing else. The information contained in the parentheses tells the reader that, as far as Farmer Brown is concerned, apples, oranges and carrots are what constitute produce-they are equivalent.
While etc., e.g. and i.e. are perhaps the most important Latin abbreviations for you to get acquainted with, there are other less common abbreviations that you may find useful in certain situations.
The abbreviation N.B. stands for nota bene, which literally translates as “note well,” although in practice you can read it as “pay attention.” It is used in endnotes or footnotes to call the reader’s attention to a particularly important piece of information-such as a key assumption of or exception to an argument-that is nevertheless not crucial enough to be included in the main body of the paper. Also, notice that N.B. is the only Latin abbreviation that should be capitalized.
Example: N.B.: While all of the study participants were interviewed about their prior medical histories, researchers did not have access to their medical records to confirm the accuracy of self-reported data.
The abbreviation cf. stands for the Latin word confer which means “compare.” It is primarily used in endnotes or footnotes to point readers to works that the author recommends referencing in comparison with the work at hand. Therefore, it might be more useful to read cf. as “but compare this to.” It is generally preceded by citations of works that are sources for the author’s argument and then followed by one or two examples of works that somehow differ from or depart from the argument. Although it is not strictly necessary to explain how these works are different, you might find it useful to include a short phrase for the benefit of your reader.
Example: 2. Jones 1992, Smith 2003; cf. on methodology Harris 2005.
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Latin Abbreviations In English

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