# Abbreviations used in the forums, in particular AE and BE



## mally pense

As a newcomer to the forums, I was unfamiliar with the terms AE and BE and also unaware that they were in common use in the forums, and I have just come across a thread where someone is asking what "BE" means.

It would be very useful if these were mentioned prominently in the relevant sticky topics, preferably with clear definitions and references as appropriate.

Until such time as that happens, I will more than likely carry on using "US English", "British English", "UK English" and/or "English English" as I think appropriate. I'm reluctant to use abbreviations which I suspect are not widely known (except perhaps in linguistic circles?).

Mally


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## TimLA

Good question.
Here on the forum when you see AE, it's American English and BE it's British English.
Occasionally you'll see something like AuE or NzE and they are obviously two other "native English" areas.

In general, we're not supposed to use abbreviations (like SMS), but these, and a few other "common" ones have "leaked through".


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## nichec

This happened to me about two years ago, the time I first joined the forum. It didn't take me long to understand the meaning, but I agree that I have never heard of these terms anywhere else.

But after almost two years in EO (Ha! Another one)forum, I realize how important these terms are, they are mentioned in a daily basis, and the full names are so long.....So I'm used to them now (and I actually use them a lot myself)

But I guess it would be nice if there's a way for newcomers to understand these terms before they join us......


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## cheshire

I prefer AmEn and BrEn to AE and BE respectively for the very people like you. Some don't even know what SVOC stand for, and not a few don't know what θ means for pronunciation!
I'd be good to gather up all such symbols and abbreviations and put them in a sticky


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## mally pense

If there's confusion or personal preferences even amongst established members maybe it would be best to try to discourage their use in any case. Personally I don't have a problem typing British English rather than BE, and it would certainly make it more readable and understandable even to novices if these abbreviations were discouraged. For new members, it would also dispose of the feeling of unease I had personally when I discovered I _hadn't_ been using the group terminology of the established membership.


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## cheshire

I don't think it'd be a good idea to replace S with subject, V with verb, O with object, C with complement, θ with th, pl. with plural, sing. with singular, p.p. with past perfect, subj. with subjunctive. Also, it is far more readable to me to see these abbreviated words. For instance, when your eyes meet with "British" in "British English," you have more potential than "English," but "people, students, ways, etc." You see "BrEn," and that's it. No ambiguity, instant comprehension.

The best way would be to put them all in sticky.


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## Alxmrphi

We use it (WRF members), it's easy, people who don't know what it means can just ask and then they know what means, no big deal.
To be honest, nobody reads the sticky topics anyway so adding it in there wouldn't be of much use I don't think.


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## Paulfromitaly

Alex_Murphy said:


> To be honest, nobody reads the sticky topics anyway so adding it in there wouldn't be of much use I don't think.


Are you telling us you've never read the stickies?? 
Your bad, Mr Murphy..


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## Alxmrphi

Oh come on Did you when you first registered here~!

.. Anche corregiti c'è un errore nel tuo post
Sono i maiali volano?


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## AngelEyes

Stickies? There are stickies here?

I sure wish someone would put them where you could see them!






*AngelEyes*


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## mally pense

I think I'm on the wrong forum. Like a fool I read the stickies.

Really, I think you need to decide whether you want to create a welcoming atmosphere for new members or not. I assume, by the way, that Cheshire's post is firmly tongue-in-cheek. If not, the situation is worse than I imagined.


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## nichec

mally pense said:


> I think I'm on the wrong forum. Like a fool I read the stickies.
> 
> Really, I think you need to decide whether you want to create a welcoming atmosphere for new members or not. I assume, by the way, that Cheshire's post is firmly tongue-in-cheek. If not, the situation is worse than I imagined.


 
I read the stickies too (I still read them from time to time now, after two years). And I don't feel like a fool.

Of course you are the only one who can decide if this is a wrong forum for you. But *I think* we all try our very best to make newcomers feel welcome.

I was a bit puzzled in the beginning, but everyone was very nice to me and they were always there to help me. Maybe we love to jock sometimes, but that doesn't mean we aren't serious.

Everyone is welcome to join us.


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## Alxmrphi

I didn't mean fools read the stickies I just meant at the very beginning when someone registers, I've gone through them through my time here but immediately I couldn't have cared less what was in them, it's just something people do when they're new to a place.


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## lsp

There isn't a community on earth, virtual or otherwise, that is knowable on the first day - some observation and questioning is required before you feel like you're part of the furniture. Did you know that we have come to call ourselves a word we coined here, foreros? Stick around, ask questions, everyone will be happy to explain. We keep a lot of chat and abbreviations to a minimum, but a community will develop its own shortcuts over time - it's the nature of communal activity.


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## jann

Let me wish you a slightly belated welcome, Mally Pense!
And thank you for reading the stickies!
Do you feel better?  

Thank you for your comments.

In all sincerity, abbreviations aside, I hope you have found our members pleasant and our forums useful. As is the case in any community, an initial period of "learning how things work around here" is virtually inevitable. Other than the technical aspects of using your account, most of this impression is in your head... and regardless, the remedy is easy: just spend more time with us!  As long as you follow the rules, I think you will find that other users treat you no differently from any newer or more established member. Ours is an academic site, so most importantly, I hope you have found people willing to address your questions. Discussion is the single most meaningful welcome we can give you.

We try to keep obscure abbreviations to a minimum so that posts are comprehensible to native speakers and language learners alike. These forums are not full of specialist jargon likely to exclude newcomers. Standard writing conventions are required, and chatspeak and SMS abbreviations are forbidden (rule 22). Your posts must be on-topic and succinctness is encouraged (rule 13), but there is no "way to write" that you must master to become an established member of this community.

Other than standard dictionary abbreviations for the parts of speech (e.g., v.tr for "transitive verb" or COD for "complément d'object direct"), the names of the forums (e.g. WR for WordReference, Fr-En for French-English), and the particular example you gave (AE/BE), I can't think of any abbreviations that we use with any regularity on the French-English pages. And actually, the "definition" of AE/BE can be found in this thread, located by looking up AE in the French-English dictionary on this site...   These abbreviations are certainly allowed, when appropriate to the forum and thread.

If there are many mysterious and non-standard abbreviations in the forums where you participate, perhaps you would consider compiling a list. It might be helpful in assessing the magnitude of the issue.

Regards, 
Jann
French-English Moderator


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## badgrammar

lsp said:


> There isn't a community on earth, virtual or otherwise, that is knowable on the first day - some observation and questioning is required before you feel like you're part of the furniture. Did you know that we have come to call ourselves a word we coined here, foreros? Stick around, ask questions, everyone will be happy to explain. We keep a lot of chat and abbreviations to a minimum, but a community will develop its own shortcuts over time - it's the nature of communal activity.



VEry nice observation, Isp...  it is the nature of any community to have its codes and rituals !  It took me a few weeks to know the forum, too!


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## mally pense

I have to confess that I was being a bit melodramatic because I'm sure that this _is_ the forum for me, and indeed it has been welcoming apart from the discomfort regarding these abbreviations which I've mentioned. 

However, I do strongly feel that if these abbreviations are commonly used and accepted, they should be documented prominently in a sticky topic, not incidentally defined in an obscure 'unsticky' thread. Is there some reason for _not_ adding this information to a sticky topic? No-one seems to have taken up the suggestion yet unless I've missed it.


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## nichec

mally pense said:


> I have to confess that I was being a bit melodramatic because I'm sure that this _is_ the forum for me, and indeed it has been welcoming apart from the discomfort regarding these abbreviations which I've mentioned.
> 
> However, I do strongly feel that if these abbreviations are commonly used and accepted, they should be documented prominently in a sticky topic, not incidentally defined in an obscure 'unsticky' thread. Is there some reason for _not_ adding this information to a sticky topic? No-one seems to have taken up the suggestion yet unless I've missed it.


 
Hey, I'm all for the "sticky" thing too......
Okay, I'll try to PM the mods in EO forum (they are all very nice)
And we'll see what happens


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## Trisia

Hello,

One of the first things I ever did on WR was to read the sticky. I think a list might be a very good idea. Sadly, it's true that many newbies choose to disregard the "Please read before you post" messages.

Trisia


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## panjandrum

As an avid reader of rules and guidelines, how could I resist.

An appropriate post has been added to the English Only sticky.


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## mally pense

Thanks very much


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