## Text Encoding Initiative

### The XML Version of the TEI Guidelines

# <abbr>

`<abbr>` | (abbreviation) contains an abbreviation of any sort.

Attributes

(In addition to global attributes and those inherited from data)

`expan` | (expansion) gives an expansion of the abbreviation.
| Datatype: CDATA
| Values: any string of characters
| Default: #IMPLIED

Example:

    The address is Southmoor <abbr expan="road">Rd</abbr>.

Note | Only one expansion may be given for an abbreviation; if different expansions are to be proposed, the tags for critical apparatus should be used.

`resp` | (responsibility) signifies the editor or transcriber responsible for supplying the expansion of the abbreviation held as the value of the `expan` attribute.
| Datatype: IDREF
| Values: must be one of the identifiers declared in the document header, associated with a person asserted as responsible for some aspect of the text's creation, transcription, editing, or encoding (see chapter 17 Certainty and Responsibility).
| Default: %INHERITED;

Example:

    The address is Southmoor <abbr expan="Road" resp="lb">Rd</abbr>.

Note | If no expansion is given, the `resp` attribute has no meaning.
`cert` | (certainty) signifies the degree of certainty ascribed to the expansion of the abbreviation.
| Datatype: CDATA
| Default: #IMPLIED

Example:

`type` | allows the encoder to classify the abbreviation according to some convenient typology.
| Datatype: CDATA

Sample values include:

suspension | the abbreviation provides the first letter(s) of the word or phrase, omitting the remainder.
contraction | the abbreviation omits some letter(s) in the middle.
brevigraph | the abbreviation comprises a special symbol or mark.
superscription | the abbreviation includes writing above the line.
acronym | the abbreviation comprises the initial letters of the words of a phrase.
title | the abbreviation is for a title of address (Dr, Ms, Mr, ...)
organization | the abbreviation is for the name of an organization.
geographic | the abbreviation is for a geographic name.

| Default: #IMPLIED

Example:

    <abbr type="acronym">RSVP</abbr>
    <abbr type="organization">SPQR</abbr>
    <abbr type="brevigraph"></abbr>
    <abbr type="contraction">yr hbl servt</abbr>

Note

The `type` attribute is provided for the sake of those who wish to classify abbreviations at their point of occurrence; this may be useful in some circumstances, though usually the same abbreviation will have the same type in all occurrences. As the sample values make clear, abbreviations may be classified by the method used to construct them, the method of writing them, or the referent of the term abbreviated; the typology used is up to the encoder and should be carefully planned to meet the needs of the expected use.

Example

    <abbr expan="senatus populusque romanorum" resp="author" type="organization">SPQR</abbr>

Note

This tag is the mirror image of the `<expan>` tag; both allow the encoder to transcribe both an abbreviation and its expansion. In `<abbr>`, however, the original is transcribed as the content of the element and the expansion as an attribute value; `<expan>` reverses this. The choice between the two is up to the user.

The `<abbr>` tag is not required; if appropriate, the encoder may transcribe abbreviations in the source text silently, without tagging them. If abbreviations are not transcribed directly but expanded silently, then the TEI header should so indicate.

For a typology of ME abbreviations, see A. G. Petty, English literary hands from Chaucer to Dryden (London: Edward Arnold, 1977), pp. 22–25.

Module Declared in file teicore2; Core tag sets: enabled when any TEI base is enabled
Class data
Data Description May contain character data and phrase-level elements.
May contain #PCDATA abbr add addSpan address alt altGrp anchor app c caesura cb certainty cl corr damage date dateRange dateStruct del delSpan distinct emph expan fLib foreign formula fs fsLib fvLib fw gap geogName gloss handShift hi index interp interpGrp join joinGrp lang lb link linkGrp m measure mentioned milestone name num oRef oVar orgName orig pRef pVar pb persName phr placeName ptr ref reg respons restore rs s seg sic soCalled space span spanGrp supplied term time timeRange timeStruct timeline title unclear w xptr xref
May occur within ab abbr activity actor add addName addrLine admin affiliation author authority bibl biblScope birth bloc byline camera caption case castItem catDesc cell channel cl classCode closer colloc constitution corr country creation damage date dateRange def del derivation descrip dictScrap distance distinct distributor docAuthor docDate docEdition docImprint domain edition editor education emph entryFree etym expan extent factuality figDesc firstLang foreName foreign form funder fw gen genName gloss gram gramGrp head headItem headLabel hi hyph imprimatur interaction item itype l label lang langKnown language lbl lem locale measure meeting mentioned mood name nameLink note num number occasion occupation opener orgDivn orgName orgTitle orgType orig orth otherForm p per persName phr placeName pos preparedness principal pron pubPlace publisher purpose q quote rdg re ref reg region rendition residence resp restore role roleDesc roleName rs s salute seg sense settlement sic signed soCalled socecStatus sound speaker sponsor stage street stress subc supplied surname syll symbol tagUsage tech term time timeRange title titlePart tns tr trailer trans u unclear usg view wit witDetail witness writing xr xref
Declaration

    <!ELEMENT abbr %om.RR;  %phrase.seq;>
    <!ATTLIST abbr
          %a.global;
          expan CDATA #IMPLIED
          resp IDREF %INHERITED;
          cert CDATA #IMPLIED
          type CDATA #IMPLIED>

See further 6.4.5 Abbreviations and Their Expansions

Up: 35 Elements