Since many words in English are derived from Latin, Latin expressions continue to be used quite frequently in academic writing. This issue of Grammatically Correct will explore specific Latin expressions and their corresponding abbreviations.

The following table offers a brief description of some common Latin abbreviations and their meanings in English:

Usage

ca. is typically used with reference to dates in parenthesis.
EX: My father graduated from college during the Vietnam War (ca. 1971).

cf. is typically used to refer the reader to another work that may be compared to the work that is currently being explored.
EX: Roberts explores the life of the working class in early twentieth-century Britain (cf. Dickens, 2000, p. 95).

e.g. is used in place of “for example,” and it may also be used in expressions similar to “including” when the writer does not want to list everything.
EX: Several of our area elementary schools (e.g., Juan Linn, F.W. Gross and Hopkins) specialize in non-traditional teaching.

et al. is typically used when citing works with several authors. The writer substitutes it for the additional authors’ last names so that less space is used.
EX: Downing et al. (2003) suggest that Shakespeare did not actually exist.

etc. is used when indicating that a list continues beyond what you have written.
EX: Please remember to bring your pencils, paper, notebooks, etc. on the first day of school.

ibid. is used when indicating that reference material is from the same page as was previously mentioned.
EX: Marie Curie discovered radium, which could be used in the field of medicine (Alger 254). As a result of her discovery, Curie received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 (ibid.).

i.e. is used to make something clearer.
EX: My mother, i.e. the worrier of the family, always calls to make sure that I arrive at home safely.

N.B. is used to signal to the reader to pay special attention to a certain statement because it is important.
EX: We will have four major exams in this course. N.B.: All of these exams are scheduled for Saturdays at 9 a.m.

sic. indicates that a misspelled word or grammatical error appeared in the original source material and serves to clarify that the writer citing the work did not make the mistake. It's usually included in brackets after the word or phrase in question.
EX: Denying claims that he poisoned his neighbors’ livestock, Ralph Jones wrote “I found there [sic] horse dead on my property.”

vs. is most often used when reporting game scores. When referring to legal trials, use v. instead of vs.
EX: The score for the Cubs vs. the Astros was 15 to 12.
EX: Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in the United States.

Overuse of Latin expressions and abbreviations is not advised. It is generally best to stick to terms with which your audience is familiar; however, if you are citing and cannot get around using a Latin expression or abbreviation due to a style constraint (for example, APA advocates the use of sic. and et al.), then make sure that you are using these expressions correctly by following the rules listed in your style manual.

Test your understanding of using Latin abbreviations by choosing the correct item in each sentence below.

1. We ate nothing but junk food, (e.g., i.e.) chips, hot dogs, nachos, on our vacation.

2. The wedding planner brought flowers, ribbon, (et al., etc.) to the planning session.

3. If students misbehave during class, they will receive detention. (N.B., ibid.): Detention must be served on the day that it is assigned.

Answers

1. We ate nothing but junk food, e.g. chips, hot dogs, nachos, on our vacation.

2. The wedding planner brought flowers, ribbon, etc. to the planning session.

3. If students misbehave during class, they will receive detention. N.B.: Detention must be served on the day that it is assigned.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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