# Abbreviations and acronyms



## adber010

Hello again!

I'm a bit unsure about the pronunciation of abbreviations and acronyms. I know that some of them are pronounced as regular words like ΑΕΠ, ΠΑΣΟΚ and ΗΠΑ (like "είπα"). But sometimes it is a bit unclear whether you say the name of the letter "κάππα κάππα έψιλον" or add -ού to the consonant "κου κου ε" (does this applies to every consonant btw?). For example, Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ, is it "ε σου σου δου"??

Cheers!


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## Perseas

adber010 said:


> I'm a bit unsure about the pronunciation of abbreviations and acronyms. I know that some of them are pronounced as regular words like ΑΕΠ, ΠΑΣΟΚ and ΗΠΑ (like "είπα").


True.



adber010 said:


> But sometimes it is a bit unclear whether you say  the name of the letter "κάππα κάππα έψιλον" or add -ού to the consonant  "κου κου ε" (does this applies to every consonant btw?). For example,  Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ, is it "ε σου σου δου"??


KKE is pronounced either  "κάππα κάππα έψιλον" (more formal) or  "κου κου ε" (more informal). 
As far as I know, ΕΣΣΔ was officially read as : "Ένωση Σοβιετικών Σοσιαλιστικών Δημοκρατιών" (or even "Σοβιετική Ένωση" = "Soviet Union"). I don't remember having ever heard "εσσδ" or something else. That said, I can imagine people having said "ε σου σου δου" at colloquial.
ΔΝT (IMF) in informal situations is heard "δου νου του", otherwise "Διεθνές Νομισματικό Ταμείο" (or "δελτα νι ταυ").
ΠΣΚ (που σου κου) is a colloquial way to say "Παρασκευή-Σάββατο-Κυριακή".
Well, to put it in a nutshell, the formal way is to say the name of the letter or the word that the letter represents,  whereas in informal situations we can, say, improvise .


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## Tassos

If we were to make a rule it would be:

1) If the acronym is easy to pronounce (according to our pronounciation rules) then it is pronounced "like a word" by everyone even in (semi)formal situations like a TV news journal or a talk-show.
2) If the acronym is difficult or impossible to pronounce then we follow what Perseas wrote (i.e. say the letters or the words in formal situations and the "-ού rule" for informal situations and everyday speech). If you are Greek you cannot for the life of you pronounce ΕΣΣΔ, ΚΚΕ or ΔΝΤ "straight" as they are written.

2 more things to consider

- We can even mix these two rules. There is a student organisation affiliated to the New Democracy party called ΔΑΠ-ΝΔΦΚ. As you can see, the first half is easy to say so it is pronounced according to (1) and the second is pronounced according to (2). And the result is "δαπ νου-δου-φου-κου"
- For many years people making acronyms in Greece (for political parties, products etc) deliberately "cut" the words in a way to make the resulting acronym fall into case (1).

Finally yes, all the consonants (including the doubles) can and will take -ού.


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## adber010

Thanks guys! Thats plenty

All the best!


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## adber010

How about ΜΜΕ btw? Μου μου ε?


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## Perseas

adber010 said:


> How about ΜΜΕ btw? Μου μου ε?


I would say _μι μι έψιλον_, but I could imagine someone saying your version too.


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## adber010

Great! Realized however that you probably just say μίντια in daily conversation, right?


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## Perseas

adber010 said:


> Great! Realized however that you probably just say μίντια in daily conversation, right?


I would say that _μίντια_ has not been "established" yet in daily conversations. I admit though that journalists, talk-show hosts etc use _μίντια_ very often. I still say: _Μέσα Μαζικής Επικοινωνίας / Ενημέρωσης._


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## Tassos

Perseas said:


> I would say that _μίντια_ has not been "established" yet in daily conversations.



I'd say it's gaining ground. 5 years ago I hated using/hearing that word in a daily conversation, I considered it a pretentious invention of cheap journalism. But I have to admit that recenlty I've used it/heard it several times. A good alternative, if _Μέσα Μαζικής Επικοινωνίας / Ενημέρωσης_ is too hard for you, is to simply say _Μέσα_ or τ_α Μέσα_.


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## Perseas

Tassos said:


> I'd say it's gaining ground.


 Yes, I don't doubt it may be so. Maybe it's time to add _μίντια_ in my active vocabulary.


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## Andrious

Perseas said:


> I would say _μι μι έψιλον_, but I could imagine someone saying your version too.



I think we say _Μι Μι Ε_ quite often as well.


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## Apollodoros

I remember when I heard _σου-κου_ for the first time. I couldn't figure it out and needed to ask what it meant. Σ-Κ - σαββατοκύριακο. 

Only then I figured out that ου is being added when vocalizing abbreviations. (By that time I only knew κου-κου-ε).


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