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Manufacturers spend considerable effort on acronyms, to try and ensure that the same acronym can be used in different languages. I would be no surprise that Bosch played around with lots of combinations before deciding on ABS.
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I bet it's not ABS in Welsh, or indeed in any language that puts adjectives in a different order from English.
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Having checked with SWMBO (whose learnt these things) the Welsh version would be BGG. (Breciau Gwrth Gloi), she also tells me that Hospital is Eggbutty - so she may be conning me.
The German word is Antiblockiersystem
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The online dictionary I use occasionally says
an acronym is
noun [C]
an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something
surely the acronym for Antiblockiersystem is A ;-)
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so RADAR should be RDAR then ( radio detection and ranging ) ?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 10/01/2008 at 12:41
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>>Antiblockiersystem>>
This could mean preventing someone from parking their car across your drive...:-)
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That's exactly what I thought but imagined the conversation in the Garage.
Customer "Has the car got A ?"
Salesperson " A what ?"
Customer "Eh ?"
Sales Person "Eh ?"
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So what was it called pre 1979 german mercedes when it was used on aircraft?
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The words are the same words, just pronounced and spelled differently, but they have the same linguistic origins.
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AE
Dunlop had a system called Maxaret that was an anti-lock brake system for aircraft from the 50's onwards. A version of this was used on the Jensen Interceptor FF.
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Beat me to it, Smokin.
For years Honda called their system ALB, for obvious reasons. It used to appear on the rear badges of Accords and Preludes if it was fitted. I guess eventually they gave up the struggle to be different.
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>>she also tells me that Hospital is Eggbutty - so she may beconning me.
Following a tumble on the Glyders Mrs B's tibia was fixed at Ysbyty Gwynedd www.northwestwales.org/WiSSCMS-en-308.aspx So given that the name of the country itself has at least three permutations eggbutty seems quite possible!!
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The country thing is interesting. The Welsh being the Brythonegs (Britons) were called the Welsh (foreigners or strangers apparently) by the invading Saxons so they called themselves the Cymry (something to do with companions or community) and of course Gwalia which is something to do with Gwlad (Country) from which the name Gwladys or Gladys comes from.*
I've done the Glyders (not pronounced Gliders !) the Mawr and the Bach (mutated on maps to Fawr and Fach) - memorable day a few summers ago which ended up in a pub in Beddgelert where i learnt about * from Mrs P when she tried to teach me Welsh from a serviette of all things.
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