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Abbreviations:
To find the explanation of a specific abbreviation, scroll through this alphabetical list.
A.A.
Alcoholics Anonymous AAPSS
American Academy of Political and Social Science AB
Bachelor of Arts ABC
American Broadcasting Company ABCFM
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions abp.
archbishop ABS
American Bible Society AC
Augsburg Confession acc.
according ACCC
American Council of Christian Churches AD
Lat. anno Domini, after Christ ad.
addition Adv.
Advent(ist); Adventism AELC
American Evangelical Lutheran Church (formerly the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America; not to be confused with the UELC and the Augustana Ev. Luth. Ch.) Afr.
Africa(n) ALC, The
The American Lutheran Church (1960) ALC
American Lutheran Church (1930) ALCW
American Lutheran Church Women ALPB
American Lutheran Publicity Bureau Alta.
Alberta AM
amplitude modulation Am.
America(n) a.M.
Ger. am Main, on the Main a.m.
Lat. ante meridiem, morning A.M.A.
American Medical Association A.M.E.
African Methodist Episcopal AMORC
Ancient and Mystical Order Roseae Crucis; Rosicrucians Anabap.
Anabaptist ANF
Ante-Nicene Fathers Angl.
Anglican a.O.
Ger. an der Oder, on the Oder Ap
Apology of the Augsburg Confession Ap Dn
Apocryphal additions to Daniel (The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men) Ap Est
Apocryphal additions to Esther A.P.U.C.
Association for the Promotion of the Unity of Christendom Arab.
Arabia(n); Arabic Aram.
Aramaic archaeol.
archaeologist; archaeological; archaeology archb.
archbishop art.
article assem.
assembly assoc.
association; associate(d); associating asst.
assistant ASV
American Standard Version ATS
American Tract Society A.U.C.
Lat. ab urbe condita, from the founding of Rome (ca. 753 BC) AV
Authorized Version Ave.
Avenue b.
born BA
Bachelor of Arts Bap.
Baptist bap.
baptized Bar
Baruch Bav.
Bavaria(n) B.C.
British Columbia BC
before Christ BD
Bachelor of Divinity bd.
board Bel
Bel and the Dragon Belg.
Belgium; Belgian bet.
between BFBS
British and Foreign Bible Society Bible, Books of
Gn, Ex, Lv, Nm, Dt, Jos, Ju, Ru, 1 and 2 Sm, 1 and 2 K, 1 and 2 Ch, Ez, Neh, Est, Jb, Ps, Pr, Ec, SS, Is, Jer, Lm, Eze, Dn, Hos, J1, Am, Ob, Jon, Mi, Nah, Hab, Zph, Hg, Zch, M1, Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn, Acts, Ro, 1 and 2 Co, G1, Eph, Ph, C1, 1 and 2 Th, 1 and 2 Ti, Tts, Phmn, Heb, Ja, 1 and 2 Ptr, 1-3 Jn, Jude, Rv bldg.
building Boh.
Bohemia(n) bp.
bishop Brit.
Britain; British bros.
brothers BSLK
Bekenntnis-Schriften der evangelisch-lutherischen Kirche bus.
business ca.
circa; about Can.
Canada; Canadian cand.
candidate cat.
catechism Cath.
Catholic CBS
Columbia Broadcasting System cen.
center; central Cen.Am.
Central America cents.
centuries c.f.
condensed from cf.
confer; compare; see ch.
church; chapter (usually abbr. chap.) chap.
chapter CHIQ
Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly chm. or chrm.
chairman chs.
churches CIC
Codex Iuris Canonici CIM
China Inland Mission (succeeded 1964 by OMF) CLC
Canadian Lutheran Council CMA
Christian and Missionary Alliance CMS
Church Missionary Society Co.
County; Company coed.
coeditor; coedited coeduc.
coeducation(al) col.
column(s) coll.
college com(m).
commission; committee; commonwealth comm.
commonwealth comp.
compile(d); compiler Conc.
Concordia conf.
conference; confession(al); confirm(ed) Cong.
Congregational(ist) cong.
congregation(al) const.
constitution(al) conv.
convention CORE
Congress of Racial Equality cotr.
cotranslator cp.
compare CPH
Concordia Publishing House CR
Corpus Reformatorum CSI
Church of South India CSU
Christian Social Union CTM
Concordia Theological Monthly D.
Domine (Lat. title given learned men in the Middle Ages); equivalent of Master d.
died Dan.
Danish days of the week
Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. DD
Doctor of Divinity del.
delegate dem.
democracy; democrat(ic) Den.
Denmark denom.
denomination(al) dept.
department D. g.
Lat. Dei gratia, by the grace of God dir.
director(s); direct(ed); directing; directress dist.
district Dom. Can.
Dominion of Canada Dr.
Drive E or E.
east(ern) Ecclus
Ecclesiasticus; The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach (or simply Sirach) ed.
edit(ed); edition; editor(ial); editing educ.
educate(d); educating; education(al, -ally); educator EELC
Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church e.g.
Lat. exempli gratia, for example EKD
Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland EKU
Evangelische Kirche der Union (1953) ELC
Evangelical Lutheran Church (Norwegian) ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ELCC
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada ELS
Evangelical Lutheran Synod (Norwegian) em.
Lat. emeritus, retired emp.
emperor ENE
east northeast Eng.
England; English enl.
enlarged Ep
Epitome Episc.
Episcopal(ian) 1 and 2 Esd
Esdras ESE
east southeast ESEA
Elementary and Secondary Education Act esp.
especially est.
estimate(d); establish(ed, -es, -ing, -ment) et al.
Lat. et alii (or alia), and others FC
Formula of Concord FCC (FCCCA)
Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America fed.
federal; federate(d); federation ff.
and following FHA
Federal Housing Administration Fin.
Finland; Finnish fl.
flourished FM
frequency modulation FMCNA
Foreign Missions Conference of North America for.
foreign Fr.
France; French Frhr.
Freiherr ft.
foot; feet gen.
general(ly) geog.
geographer; geographic(al, -ally); geography Ger.
German(y) Gk.
Greek gov(t).
governor, government grad.
graduate(d); graduating Gt. Brit.
Great Britain HE
Historia Ecclesiastica Heb.
Hebrew hist.
historian; historic(al, -ally); history; historico hosp.
hospital HQ
headquarters hr.
hour Hung.
Hungary; Hungarian ib. or ibid.
in the same place ICC
International Critical Commentary i.e.
Lat. id est, that is, namely IELC
India Evangelical Lutheran Church IFMA
Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association of North America, Inc. IMC
International Missionary Council in.
inch(es) inc.
incorporated indep.
independent(ly); independence ins.
insurance; insured inst.
institute(d); institution(al) instn.
institution instr.
instructor; instructed; instruction interch.
interchurch intercong.
intercongregational interdenom.
interdenominational internat.
international intersyn.
intersynodical introd.
introduce(d); introducing; introduction; introductory is.
island(s); isle It.
Italy; Italian Jap.
Japan(ese) Jdth
Judith Jeh. wit.
Jehovah's witnesses Joh.
Johann(es) Jr.
Junior KJV
King James Version km
kilometer L. or Lat.
Latin LB
Lutheran Brethren LC
Large Catechism LCA
Lutheran Church in America LCC
Lutheran ChurchCanada LCIC
Lutheran Council in Canada LCMS
Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod (adopted July 1947) LCW
Lutheran Church Women LDA
Lutheran Deaconess Association LEA
Lutheran Education Association LFC
Lutheran Free Church Lith.
Lithuania(n) L Jer
The Letter of Jeremiah LL
Late Latin LLL
Lutheran Laymen's League LMS
London Missionary Society LPH
Lutheran Publication House LQ
Lutheran Quarterly lt.
lieutenant Luth.
Lutheran L.u.W.
Lehre und Wehre LWC
Lutheran World Convention LWF
Lutheran World Federation LWML
Lutheran Women's Missionary League LXX
Septuagint m.
Lat. meridies, noon; married MA
Master of Arts 1 and 2 Mac
Maccabees Macm.
Macmillan Man.
Manitoba Man
The Prayer of Manasseh MAR
Master of Arts in Religion math.
mathematician; mathematical; mathematics MBS
Mutual Broadcasting System MD
Doctor of Medicine MDiv
Master of Divinity M.E.
Methodist Episcopal ME
Middle English med.
medical Medit.
Mediterranean MELIM
Missouri Evangelical Lutheran India Mission mem.
member; memorial Meth.
Methodist Mex.
Mexico; Mexican mgr.
manager mi.
mile(s) miss.
mission(ary) ML
Medieval Latin mo.
month Months
Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Mo. Syn.
Missouri Synod MP
member of parliament MPG
J. P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus, series Graeca MPL
J. P. Migne, Patrologiae cursus completus, series Latina MS (<a href="abbrev.asp?abbrev=ABBR.PL"><I>pl.</I></A> MSS)
manuscript(s) Mt.
Mount N or N.
north(ern) n.
note NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAE
National Association of Evangelicals N. Am.
North America(n) nat.
national N. B.
New Brunswick NBC
National Broadcasting Company NCA
National Council on Alcoholism NCC (NCCCUSA)
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America n.d.
no date NE
northeast(ern) NEB
New English Bible NELC
National Evangelical Lutheran Church (Finnish) Neth.
Netherlands Newf.
Newfoundland NLC
National Lutheran Council NLCA
Norwegian Lutheran Church of America no.
number nondenom.
nondenominational Norw.
Norway; Norwegian n.p.
name of publisher, printer, or place of publication not given NPNF
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers N.S.
Nova Scotia NT
New Testament NW
northwest(ern) NYC
New York City NYU
New York University OE
Old English OF
Old French OMF
Overseas Missionary Fellowship (1964 successor to CIM) Ont.
Ontario op. cit.
Lat. opere citato, in the work cited OT
Old Testament par.
paragraph par.
paragraph patrol.
patrologist; patrologic(al); patrology PEMS
Paris Evangelical Missionary Society Pent.
Pentecost (al, -alism) PhD
Doctor of Philosophy philol.
philologist; philological; philology philos.
philosopher; philosophic(al, -ally); philosophy physiol.
physiologist; physiological; physiology pl.
plural p.m.
Lat. post meridiem, afternoon, evening POAU
Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State pol.
politician; political(ly); politics pop.
population; populated Port.
Portugal; Portuguese pref.
preface pref. d.
preface date prep.
preparatory pres.
president Presb.
Presbyterian prim.
primitive print.
printed; printing; printer prof.
professor Prot.
Protestant protect.
protectorate pro tem.
Lat. pro tempore, temporary psychol.
psychologist; psychological(ly); psychology pub.
publish(er, -es, -ed, -ing); publication; public(ly) q.v.
Lat. quod vide, which see R.
River RC
Roman Catholic RCm
Roman Catholicism RCs
Roman Catholics Rd.
Road reed.
reedited reest.
reestablish (ed, -ing, -ment) Ref.
Reformed regt.
regiment reinc.
reincorporate(d) reintrod.
reintroduce(d) rep.
republic(an) reprint.
reprinted; reprinting repub.
republish(ed, -ing) resp.
respective(ly) rev.
revise(d); revision; reviser R.i.p.
Lat. Requiescat in pace, May he (or she) rest in peace RMS
Rhenish Mission Society RSV
Revised Standard Version Russ.
Russia(n) RV
Revised Version S or S.
south(ern) S.S.
Sunday school SA
Smalcald Articles Salv. Army
Salvation Army S.Am.
South America(n) Sask.
Saskatchewan sc.
Lat. scilicet, namely SC
Small Catechism Scand.
Scandinavia(n) SCM
Student Christian Movement Scot.
Scotland; Scottish; Scotch SD
Solida Declaratio, Thorough Declaration SE
southeast(ern) secy.
secretary sel.
selected; selection SELC
Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church; Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches sem.
seminary sess.
session Skt.
Sanskrit Slov.
Slovak(ia) soc.
society; social(ly) sociol.
sociologist; sociological; sociology Sp.
Spain; Spanish Span.
Spanish SPCK
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge SPG
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts sq.
square Sr.
Senior SS.
Saints SSR
Soviet Socialist Republic SSW
south southwest St.
Saint; Street stand.
standard States
Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Hawaii, Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N. H., N. J., N. Mex., N. Y., N. C., N. Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R. I., S. C., S. Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W. Va., Wis., Wyo., D. C. St.L.ed.
St. Louis (Concordia) edition of Luther's Works STM
Master of Sacred Theology stud.
studied; student supt.
superintendent Sus
Susanna SVM
Student Volunteer Movement SW
southwest(ern) Swed.
Sweden; Swedish Switz.
Switzerland syn.
synod(ical) ThD
Doctor of Theology The ALC
The American Lutheran Church (1960) theol.
theologian; theological(ly); theology Thor.Decl.
Thorough Declaration, Solida Declaratio (also abbr. SD) TLH
The Lutheran Hymnal TM
Theological Monthly Tob
Tobit TQ
Theological Quarterly TQS
Theologische Quartalschrift tr.
translate(d); translating; translation; translator Tractatus
Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope treas.
treasurer Trig. or Trigl.
Triglot(ta) Trin.
Trinity TV
television Twp.
Township U.
University UAC
Unaltered Augsburg Confession UDELC
United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Changed name 1945 to United Evangelical Lutheran Church. UELC
United Evangelical Lutheran Church (see UDELC) U.F.C. of Scot.
United Free Church of Scotland ULC(A)
United Lutheran Church in America UN
United Nations undergrad.
undergraduate UNIA
Universal Negro Improvement Association univs.
universities unpub.
unpublished US(A), or U.S.(A.)
United States of America USSR
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics v.
von; verse VA
Veterans Administration VBS
vacation Bible school VELKD
Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands vice-pres.
vice-president viz.
Lat. videlicet, namely vol.
volume vs.
versus vv.
verses W or W.
west(ern) WA
Weimar Ausgabe of Luther's Works, main series WA-Br
Weimar Ausgabe of Luther's Works, letters (Briefe) WA-DB
Weimar Ausgabe of Luther's Works, Bible (Deutsche Bibel) WA-T
Weimar Ausgabe of Luther's Works, table talk (Tischreden) WCC
World Council of Churches WCTU
Woman's Christian Temperance Union WELS
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod WFB
World Fellowship of Buddhists Wis
The Wisdom of Solomon WW
World War YMCA
Young Men's Christian Association yr.
year YWCA
Young Women's Christian Association ZKG
Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte etc.
Lat. et cetera, and so forth Eur.
Europe(an) Ev. Rev.
Evangelical Review ev.
evangelical(ly) Ex. Com.
Executive Committee ex.
executive 
Edited by: Erwin L. Lueker, Luther Poellot, Paul Jackson
©Concordia Publishing House, 2000, All rights Reserved. Reproduced with Permission
Internet Version Produced by
The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
Original Editions ©Copyright 1954, 1975, 2000
Concordia Publishing House
All rights reserved.
Content Reproduced with Permission