initialese

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₁én

Proto-Italic *en

Proto-Italic *en-

Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey-

Proto-Indo-European *-ti

Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti

Proto-Italic *ejō

Proto-Italic *eō

Proto-Italic *eneō

Latin ineō

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -iusnom.

Latin -ium

Latin initium

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Latin initiālislbor.

Middle French initialbor.

▲

Latin initiālislbor.

English initial

Proto-Indo-European *-iskos

Proto-Germanic *-iskaz

Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor.

Late Latin -iscus

▲

Vulgar Latin -iscus

Etruscanbor.?

Italicbor.?

Proto-Indo-European *-wénts

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *-went-ti-der.?

▲

Ancient Greek ἐνς (ens)

Ancient Greek εἰς (eis)

Ancient Greek ἐνς (ens)der.

Latin?

Latin -ī?

Latin -ēnsis

Old French -eisbor.

Middle English -eys

English -ese

English initialese

From initial + -ese.

Noun

initialese (uncountable)

1. (informal) Language that is rendered confusing by many initialisms.
   • 1965, Design news, volume 20, numbers 10-17:

     Let me assure you, sir, that I will, in the interests of APANUA, continue the ceaseless fight against senseless acronymity, initialese, indecipherable abbreviation.

See also

• abbreviationitis