Re: Abbreviations

On Wed, 8 Dec 1999, Nik Taylor wrote:

> FFlores wrote:
> > For example, in my written Spanish I use <q'> for <que>,
> > <x> for <por>, <xq'> for <porque>, <//> for <-mente>
> > (in adverbs), etc.
>
> In my journal I do similar things, I have:
>
> th' = the
> t' = to
> a small + looking symbol = and
> o' = of
> -d = -ed
> -in' = -ing
> g'na = gonna
> G'ville = Gainesville (fairly standard, actually)
> P'cola = Pensacola (fairly standard, actually)
> @ = at (but only sometimes, I can't figure out why it seems wrong
> sometimes!)
> -z = -s (only occasionally)
> 'bout = about
> G'ma = Grandma
> G'pa = Grandpa
> fone = phone
> w/ = with
> t'night = tonight
I, in college, invented a system of forty letters which would allow me to
take notes faster.  I memorized it and can still write in it and read it.

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog

for instance, would look like

[theta] qc brn fx jmpt ovr [theta] l[a macron]z[e macron] dg.

I also invented characters for "tion" (a long s and an n),
/sh/ [long s]
 /ng/ [n with a tail]
 /ngk/ [n with a tail curving over itself]
/ch/ [t with a long slanted crossbar]
[ing] [a dot above the last letter -- stole this from shorthand]

> And also incomplete sentences, like, from my entry Aug. 15:
> "Saw Blair Witch Project.  Very Dull.  Hated it.  First Wave marathon.
> Missed it.  Unplugged/unconnected computer", generally dropping subject
> pronouns.
You hated it?  Hmm.  I was on the edge of my seat.
yu h[a macron]td t?  Hmm.  I wz n [theta] edj v m s[e macron]t

> > And I've seen pictures of many old
> > writings (mainly in Latin) where letters have a lot of
> > marks -- I've been told those are shortcuts.
>
> Yep, and a few have survived into modern writing - & from "et", ! from
> "lo", and I think ? came from a word, but I'm not sure which.  It was
> also common to do things like dropping final "m", using a macron to
> indicate it.
As my bibliography prof is fond of pointing out, this:
 ___
couo

is a perfectly valid spelling of the word "communion."