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Acronyms.net Technology

Recursive Acronyms

Self-Referential Acronyms

Redundant Acronyms

Web References

Semantic Web

RSS

RDF Site Summary

UFD

USB Flash Drive

XSD

XML Schema Definition

and any acronym definition containing "API"

For example, the JAXP acronym, meaning Java API for XML-Based RPC, contains three other acronyms: API , XML and RPC .

Other examples of recursive acronyms include:

• JTA
and
• SAC
, for which the acronym definition contains two other acronyms.

Note that some initialisms such as the SQL/PL acronym, meaning SQL Procedural Language, and the XHTML-MP acronym, meaning XHTML Mobile Profile, which initially might look like they are recursive, are neither recursive acronyms, since the acronym referenced ( SQL and XHTML , respectively) is included in its entirety, nor are they self-referential, since the first word in those acronym definitions reference a different acronym, not the entire acronym itself.

When other acronym references discuss recursive acronyms, the examples given are almost exclusively Self-Referential Recursive Acronyms. Self-Referential Acronyms are a specific subset of recursive acronyms in general.

3) Where the word recursive retains its mathematical meaning of application of an algorithm, to the results obtained from previous iterations using the same algorithm. In this case, the recursive function is the acronym generator algorithm, the procedure of using one or more of the initial letters of each word.

GNU

GNU's Not Unix

PHP

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

SQL

SQL Query Language

VISA

Visa International Service Association

Redundant acronym usage, sometimes humorously called RAS Syndrome, occurs when commonly used acronym phrases include one of the words in the acronym itself. For example:

ABS system

Anti-lock Braking System system

% APR

percent Annual Percentage Rate

ATM machine

Automated Teller Machine machine

DSL line

Digital Subscriber Line line

GRE exam

Graduate Record Examination exam

GPS system

Global Positioning System system

HIV virus

Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus

NIC card

Network Interface Card card

PIN number

Personal Identification Number number

Please RSVP

Please Répondez, S'il Vous PlaÎt (not "Respondez, Sil Vous Plait"), which translates to

Please answer, please

SATs tests

Scholastic Assessment Tests tests

The redundancy in some of the acronym phrases above is not necessarily improper. For example, you should be able to discuss a specific piece of personal security information such as your PIN number or a specific virus such as the HIV virus in the singular as much as you could talk about your SSN and PIN numbers or the Herpes and HIV viruses. Experimenting with wording in a plural context may help determine whether to use the redundant acronym in a singular context:

PIN

"I gave him my SSN and PIN and became a victim of identity theft!"

"I gave him my PIN and became a victim of identity theft!"

PIN number

"The customers SSN and PIN numbers should always be encrypted."

"The customers PIN number should always be encrypted."

HIV

"We were relieved when our HIV tests were both negative."

"I was relieved when my HIV test was negative."

HIV virus

"We have been trying to find a cure for the Herpes and HIV viruses."

"We have been trying to find a cure for the HIV virus."

In addition to the online acronym references right here at Acronyms .net, here are some links to other online references you might find useful for developing web sites using HTML :

• HTML-5 Reference
• Web References

Acronyms .net is not only one site of the Semantic Web but enables web site developers to add semantic content to other web sites. By providing semantic information for any acronyms used on a site, the acronyms become disambiguated. Including this information on a web site also improves the web site's accessibility, by providing additional information for text-to-speech (auditory) browsers, which are used by people with sight disabilities.

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Last updated Saturday February 21, 2009