[thechat] Not acronyms, not abbreviations, but. . . ?

[Terry Fowler]

My friend and department alphageek just stopped by 
and asked this:  "Is there a word for acronyms that
aren't pronouncable?"

Assumptions here are the "acronym" is pieces of words
or first letters of words put together in a somewhat
pronounceable fashion:

   laser - light amplification something errr
rwhatever
   radar - radio direction and ranging

And abbreviations are words that have been shortened
in one way or other.

But what about when just the initial letters are
strung together resulting it something mostly
unpronouncable,
like PDA? ATM? etc. Is there a word for these?

terry



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