E-MAIL ABBREVIATIONS

A FAQ of the Egyptologists' Electronic Forum.

(1) Internet conventions

Some special signs and abbreviations are current on the Internet:

* "smileys" = symbols to give intonation to what is written (so-called "emoticons"), to convey how the writer means something. Basically they are little faces turned 90 degrees. Most often they indicate a bit of archness, irony, sarcasm, tease or fun, i.e. they spell "written with a smile":
:-)     ;-)     :)     ;)    ;>    :>    :-P     :-D     etc.
The same effect have <g> or <G> for "written with a grin". Other smileys can convey disappointment, dismay or sadness:
:-<     :-(     :(     etc.
Many variations are possible. Even though you perhaps do not feel like using them yourself, it is important to know the concept of smileys, as it often makes a lot of difference whether something is written with or without one. In that spirit: be careful with humor and sarcasm, if you do not add a smiley then it is easy for a remark meant to be funny to be misinterpreted...

* Abbreviations for common phrases used on the Net:
AFAIK = as far as I know
AFAICS = as far as I can see
AFAICT = as far as I can tell
BTW = by the way
CUL8R = see you later
FAQ = frequently asked questions
FWIW = for what it's worth
FYI = for your information
HTH = hope this helps
IIRC = if I recall correctly...
IMO = in my opinion
IMHO = in my humble/honest opinion
IMNSHO = in my not so humble opinion [indicating: this is simply the way it is]
IOW = in other words
ISTR = I seem to recall/remember
IRL = in real life
JM2c = just (putting in) my two cents [indicating: it's just a thought/suggestion, so please do not kill me over it :)]
LMK = let me know
LOL = laughing out loud [equivalent smiley: :)) etc.]
OTOH = on the one/other hand
WRT = with respect to
YMMV = your mileage may vary [indicating: this is the procedure I use to do something, but YMMV if you use it]

* Not specific for the Net, but quite useful for when you want to point someone to reference material that could be of use to him/her, but which you cannot recommend at first hand, or when you want to indicate in a quote that this typo or incorrect bit of information was in your source and is not due to an error of yours:
(non vidi) = I have not seen this article/book myself, only quotes from it or references to it
(sic) = it really is written as I am quoting; I am quoting verbatim

(2) General Egyptological Abbreviations in common use:

• AE = Ancient Egypt(ian)
  UE/LE = Upper Egypt/Lower Egypt
  
• PD = Predynastic Period
  ED = Early Dynastic or Archaic Period (German: FrZt = Frühzeit, Thinitenzeit; French: Epoque thinite)
  OK/MK/NK = Old, Middle and New Kingdom (German: AR/MR/NR = Altes, Mittleres und Neues Reich; French: AE/ME/NE = Ancien, Moyen, et Nouveau Empire)
  FIP/SIP/TIP = First, Second and Third Intermediate Period (German: ZwZt = Zwischenzeit)
  LP = Late Period (German: SpZt = Spätzeit)
  
• For Pyr./PT = Pyramid Text, CT = Coffin Text, and BD = Book of the Dead chapter (German: Tb = Totenbuch Kapitel; French: L.Morts = Livre des Morts chapitre), see the Bibliographical Abbreviations page. These originally were referring to specific publications though the numbering systems are used in any edition now.
• KV = Kings' Valley [eastern part of the Valley of the Kings] (German: TdK = Tal der Könige; French: VR = Vallée des Rois)
  WV = West Valley [western part of the Valley of the Kings]
  QV = Queens' Valley (German: = Tal der Königinnen; French: VRe = Vallée des Reines)
  TT = Theban Tomb Nr.
  W. [Name] = Wadi...
  DM, DeM = Deir el Medina (oDeM, ODM = ostraca of Deir el Medina number)
  EA = El Amarna (EAT = El Amarna Tablets)
  
• gr[name] = Grafitto/Grafitti ... (also Gr. [name])
  i[name] = Inscription
  p[Name] = Papyrus ... (also: P.[Name], Pap.[Name])
  pdem [name] = Demotic Papyrus ... (not to be confused with P. DeM [no.] = Deir el-Medinah Papyrus no. ...)
  o[Name] = Ostracon/ostraca ... (also: O.[Name], ost[Name], Ostr.[Name])
  odem [name] = Demotic Ostracon/Ostraca ...
  st[Name] = Stela ...
  
• BCE = Before the Common Era (same as: BC = Before Christ; German: v.Chr.; French: av.J.-Chr.)
  CE = Common Era (same as: AD = Anno Domini; German: n.Chr.; French: apr.J.-Chr.)
  BC/AD is the historical custom (which came about before the zero was employed in Europe, so 1 BC and 1 AD are back-to-back); the astronomical custom does insert a year zero (1 BC = 0), and works with -/+ figures (so 1322 BC = -1321, 2000 AD = +2000).
• Dyn. = (Manethoan) Dynasty
• BM = British Museum, London
• ANE = Ancient Near East

(3) Bibliographical Abbreviations

See our seperate Bibliographical Abbreviations page.