A recursive acronym refers to itself, often used in information technology. It can be confusing and is sometimes constructed due to common usage. The trend towards recursive acronyms has led to the term “redundant acronym syndrome” and can be eliminated to avoid confusion.
A recursive acronym is an acronym that refers to itself. This sort of word sorting to form acronyms is done for many different reasons. The commonality between different examples of this type of acronym is that a recursive acronym includes a reference to the object or idea that is constructed from the entire collection of initial letters in the acronym. For example, a common IT acronym, WINE, stands for “WINE Is Not an Emulator”. Here, the word representing the whole acronym, WINE, is included in the components of the acronym and the acronym is said to be recursive or, in other words, “self-referential”.
To understand what a recursive acronym is, it helps to understand the meaning of the word “recursive”. Experts describe the meaning of “recursive” as relating to the repetition or recurrence of a theme or idea. In mathematical applications, recursive often means defining an object in terms of itself. Some like to think of this idea as “nesting” one identical object inside another, or as a series of “shells” around a core, which helps provide a visual representation of recursive phenomena.
Many of the recurring acronyms used in the modern era refer to information technology. Various alternative technologies, such as operating systems and software applications, can describe themselves in terms of other products or systems. This can cause a recursive acronym situation. Another example is the IT acronym GNU, which stands for “GNU is Not Unix”.
Sometimes recursive acronyms are constructed because the meaning of the acronym is not particularly different from the meaning of the original word. In other cases, these recursive acronyms occur through common usage. An example is the phrase “vehicle identification number,” which also goes by the acronym VIN. Over time, many North Americans and others who use a “VIN” as an identifier for a vehicle have begun to refer to a “VIN number,” where the “N” in VIN also stands for “number.” That repetition builds the recursive acronym.
In modern times, some people familiar with the use of recursive acronyms have coined the phrase “redundant acronym syndrome” to describe the modern use of recursive acronym, particularly in the IT field. Part of the trend towards recursive acronyms in IT is based on the many separate technologies that go into a larger IT process. There is also a tendency for technologies to compete which can cause some recursive acronyms, including the examples cited above, which computer programmers sometimes refer to as “definition by comparison”, where a recursive acronym is set up to say that “(something) it is not (something else).”
In general, recursive acronyms can be confusing. Whether relying on the unique aspects to the defining characteristics of an idea or object, or contrasting that idea or object with another, these complex constructions often defy interpretation because of the repetition that is involved. Many who use information technology jargon have often argued for eliminating many of the common acronyms that are used, even coming up with the pejorative term, “alphabet soup,” to describe an inordinate amount of complex acronyms that will often confuse a public layman.
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