SeaBee

[allelopath]

In an article in a local paper, of which the subject is acronyms, the author states that "SeaBees" comes from Construction Battalions (that is CBs). I would think that CB would be the acronym, and SeaBees is technically not an acronym, but what would you call a spelling out of the sound of the 2 letters?

[tcward]

Good question! I've often wondered the same of emcee, which comes from M.C.

-Tim

[Flaminius]

This reminds me of a year-long question I secretly asked myself every now and then. What are the authoritative spelling for the Alphabet pronunciations in English? How do you spell H (haitch, I assume) for example?

Flam

[Stargzer]

In an article in a local paper, of which the subject is acronyms, the author states that "SeaBees" comes from Construction Battalions (that is CBs). I would think that CB would be the acronym, and SeaBees is technically not an acronym, but what would you call a spelling out of the sound of the 2 letters?

Hmm. I'm not sure if there is a special name for .

CB would be an abbreviation, not an acronym, and Sea and bee are obviously homophones for C and B, respectively. Bees, especially honeybees, are legendary builders, so Seabee could be an aptronym (A name devised to be characterizing or descriptive (Miss Neat; Felicity Foote).


Here's the definition of Seabee from the American Heritage Dictionary:

Seabee

SYLLABICATION: Sea·bee

PRONUNCIATION: sē'bē'

NOUN: A member of one of the construction battalions in the U.S. Navy that builds naval aviation bases and shore facilities.

ETYMOLOGY: Alteration of cee bee, pronunciation of the initial letters of construction battalion.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

And here's the story of the Seabees from the source.

[allelopath]

CB would be an abbreviation, not an acronym,

The thinking being that, since an acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a name, CB could not be a word. I'll buy that.

and Sea and bee are obviously homophones for C and B, respectively.

So "SeaBees" is a homophonic abbreviation...or HA for short.

[M. Henri Day]

Welcome to the Agora, allelopath ! Hope the genetherapy works !...

Henri

[allelopath]

How do you spell H (haitch, I assume) for example?

aitch, according to this:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=235568