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Where did the abbreviation "w/" for "with" come from?
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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All in all, the / is just one style of abbreviation used in English. It's not only used for "with", but also a few other words (w/o = without, N/A = not applicable).
In German we abbreviate using a dot (e.g. "m." = "mit" = "with). That's not more or less intuitive, it's just what you are used to.
What's kinda special with English is that there are multiple abbreviation styles. Off the top of my head I can think of six styles:
Abbreviate using the first and then any choice of following letter that differentiates it from the other possibilities in a specific group: AL, AR, AK, AZ... MA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT.... WA, WI, WV, WY!
Well tbf those are post codes designed by the postal service to represent states. I wouldn't really count it as a naturally developed abbreviation like the ones above, it's no different from .fr, .es, .co.uk, etc.
The abbreviations for states used before the two-letter ones, however, are much weirder! E.g. Penna. for Pennsylvania
Tbf iirc the USPS had to make sure they didn't conflict with other previously existing abbreviations. Although as someone living in LA, CA* they didn't quite succeed
(Not Louisiana, Canada but the other one)