When did we all become Latin lovers?

We can thank Latin for quite a few of our linguistic treasures. The Latin abbreviations, however, are becoming more of an eyesore (they look terrible) and headache (what on earth do they mean?) than anything else.

Our texts are riddled with i.e., e.g., i.a., …etc. And while literature seems to avoid abbreviations, other writing forms are suffering – marketing and legal texts more than most. Here are the worst culprits:

• etc. (et cetera), meaning “and the rest”
• e.g. (exempli gracia), meaning “for example”
• i.e. (id est), meaning “in other words”
• i.a. (inter alia) meaning "among other things"

So why are we using them? Do they make our texts easier to read and understand? No – if anything else, they create confusion. Do they save us time as we write? Mere seconds. Do they reduce printing costs? No printer charges by letter these days. Do they make us look more intelligent? Unlikely.

The most likely explanation is that many of us have simply fallen into the habit of sticking them in – and old habits die hard.

So what’s wrong with abbreviations?
In any good writing class, the mantra is that abbreviations often make it look like you don’t know what else to say. Perhaps the biggest culprit is “etc.” And in the copywriting world, most professionals will tell you that you should replace any “etc.” with real examples. Why?

Look at these:

“We design and manufacture children’s furniture, clothes, toys, etc.”
The vagueness of “etc.” is baffling. What else do children need? Medicine? Food? Or is the company trying to make it look like it does more than it really does?

“We manufacture syringes, diagnostic tools, etc.”
In the medical world, there are about a million things that could stand in for “etc.” Better to specify to keep customers, investors, and curious minds on the same page as you.

Let’s just say what we mean
Sprinkling our legal texts with "etc." and "e.g." doesn’t make us look clever – it just makes us seem wishy-washy. And the ability to cut the “e.g.” and replace it with a creative rephrasing shows a knack for good communication, which is what all of us crave.

And let’s remember whom we’re speaking to
In English, sign-offs in letters and emails are simply never abbreviated. In fact, only in Denmark does one see the English “Best regards” transformed into "Br."

Please don’t use it – most non-Danes won’t know what it means. And like the old “etc.”, it gives many people the sense that the writer just can’t be bothered to complete his or her thought.

We all want to appear eloquent and good at communication. And by not cutting corners with abbreviations, we’ll achieve both.

Related articles:
Are we overdosing on corporate speak?