ABD US
 All but dissertation
academia
 The academic world
Academic Word List
 A list of the most frequent words in academic English, compiled by Averil Coxhead et al. at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. For further details see www.vuw.ac.nz/lals/research/awl
AD
 After year 0 in the Western calendar
Bede was born around AD 675.
addendum
 An addition to a text, usually after printing
ad hoc
 For this case only, an ad hoc explanation
ad infinitum
 Again and again, to infinity
ad lib
 To speak or perform without preparation
ad libitum
 Freely, for instance when study animals are given unlimited access to food, e.g. The animals were fed ad libitum
alma mater
 Your old school, college or university
alumni
 A Latin word meaning former students of a university or college. A male former student is an alumnus, a female former student an alumna.
a.m.
 Before 12 noon, e.g. 2 a.m.
anno
 In the year
anon.
 Anonymous, e.g. Beowulf (anon.)
appendix
 Additional material included at the end of a text
a priori
 Assumed valid
Until Copernicus, most Western astronomers believed a priori that the sun revolved around the earth.
ASAP
 As soon as possible
assistant professor US, CA
 GB approximately lecturer
associate professor US, CA
 GB approximately senior lecturer
AU
 In the PhraseBook, an Australian spelling or term
BA
 Bachelor of Arts
bachelor
 The first university degree, taken after three or four years of study
BC
 Before year 0 in the Western calendar
bibliography
 A list of works referred to or used in a text
bona fide
 Genuine, e.g. a bona fide case of …
BP
 Before the present
BSc or BS US
 Bachelor of Science
C
 Century, e.g. C19
c. or ca.
 Circa, approximately, c. 1066
campus
 The university or college grounds
I live on campus.
CA
 In the PhraseBook, a Canadian spelling or term
Cantab.
 (In a degree title) Cambridge University
carrel
 A private study cubicle
ceteris paribus
 Other things being equal
This may lead, ceteris paribus, to a fall in inflation.
cf.
 Compare, cf. Smith (2014)
ch.
 Chapter
chancellor GB
 The honorary head of a university
chancellor US
 The president or chief executive officer of a university
chap.
 Chapter
circa
 Approximately
The original Globe Theatre was built circa 1600.
concordance
 An index to words in a work or works, e.g. a Shakespeare concordance
corpus
 A database or collection of material for research
corrigenda
 Corrections to a text
cum laude US
 With distinction
curriculum
 Courses for study
curriculum vitae
 A summary of your education and career
CV
 Curriculum vitae
dean
 The head of a faculty or school
de facto
 In practice, in reality
The threat of violence often results in a de facto curfew.
diss.
 Dissertation
dorm
 Student accommodation
DPh or DPhil
 Doctor of Philosophy
ed.
 Editor, edited (by) or edition
edn
 Edition
e.g.
 For example
emerita
 A retired female professor etc.
Professor Emerita Elizabeth Smith
emeritus
 A retired (male) professor etc.
Professor Emeritus John Smith
epigraph
 A quotation at the beginning of a book or chapter
erratum
 An error in a text
errata
 (A list of) errors in a text
esp.
 Especially
et al.
 And others, used in references, e.g. Perez et al. (2014)
etc.
 And so on
exeunt
 They leave (in stage directions)
ex libris
 From the library of
extracurricular
 Outside the normal curriculum, for example clubs and societies
ex vivo
 Outside the body
f.
 And following page or line, e.g. Petrov (2014:7f.)
faculty
 A major subject division of a university, such as a Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Engineering or Faculty of Science
faculty US, CA
 The teaching and research staff of a university
festschrift
 A German word meaning a collection of papers in honour GB or honor US of a colleague
ff.
 And following pages, e.g. Rahman (2014:7ff.)
field trip
 An excursion for practical study or research
fig.
 Figure
a first GB
 The highest grade of an honours bachelor’s degree
Mary graduated with a first in chemistry.
fl. or flor.
 Meaning flourished, fl. or flor. is used when a person’s birth and death dates are unknown, to show when they were active
fn.
 Footnote
fo. or fol.
 Folio
folio
 A large book
fraternity US
 A male student society (with a name in Greek letters)
fresher GB, freshman, freshwoman
 A first-year student
GB
 In the PhraseBook, a British spelling or term
GPA US
 Grade point average
grade US, CA
 GB mark
graduate student US, CA
 GB postgraduate student
A student studying for a master’s or doctoral degree
hall
 A university hall of residence, student accommodation
honours GB, AU
 An honours degree, higher than an ordinary bachelor’s degree
Hons GB
 An honours degree, e.g. BA (Hons)
ibid.
 At the same place, used in references to refer to a reference already cited, e.g. Lee ibid.
i.e.
 That is
IE
 In the PhraseBook, an Irish spelling or term
in lieu of
 In place of
in memoriam
 In memory of someone who has died
in situ
 In position or at its original site
inter alia
 Among other things
Stonehenge probably symbolizes, inter alia, a worship of nature.
intramural
 Within a university or college, for example intramural sports are between teams at the same university or college
in vitro
 Outside the body, in vitro literally means ‘in glass’
in vivo
 Inside the body, in living organisms
ipso facto
 By that very fact or act
A native speaker is ipso facto an expert linguist.
ISBN
 International Standard Book Number
ISSN
 International Standard Serial Number
ivory tower
 An academic world seen as isolated and with little relevance to the outside world
Ivy League
 A number of older eastern US universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton
l.
 Line
lecturer GB
 US, CA approximately assistant professor
Lent
 Spring term or trimester
lingua franca
 A language used for communication between people who do not speak the same first language
ll.
 Lines
LLB
 Bachelor of Laws
loc. cit.
 In the place cited
locum
 A temporary substitute (doctor etc.)
lower case
 A small letter, such as a, b, c
MA
 Master of Arts
magna cum laude US
 With great distinction
major
 Main degree subject
mark GB
 US, CA grade
max.
 Maximum
Michaelmas GB
 Autumn term or trimester
min.
 Minimum or minute(s)
modus operandi
 Method of doing something
MPhil
 Master of Philosophy
MSc or MS US
 Master of Science
MS(S) or ms(s).
 Manuscript(s)
n/a or n.a.
 Not applicable or not available
n/a is used to show when a category is not applicable or data are not available, for example in a table
nb or N.B.
 Note
n.d.
 No date (of a reference)
no. or No.
 Number
ns
 New series (of a journal)
ns or n.s.
 Nonsignificant
NZ
 In the PhraseBook, a New Zealand spelling or term
Op.
 Opus
op. cit.
 In the work cited
op. cit. refers to a work already cited, e.g. Anderson, op. cit.
opus
 A piece of work, often musical
Oxbridge
 Oxford University and Cambridge University
Oxon.
 (In a degree title) Oxford University
O-Week AU
 Orientation week
p.
 Page
passim
 In many places (used in references)
Examples of the double negative abound in Chaucer, see The Canterbury Tales, passim.
per annum
 Per year
per capita
 Per person
per se
 In itself, as such
The threat is not nuclear power per se, but man’s exploitation of it.
plagiarism
 To copy someone else’s work or ideas and make it appear as if your own
The British government was widely criticized for its plagiarism of a graduate student’s work.
p.m.
 After 12 noon, e.g. 5 p.m.
postdoc
 An informal abbreviation of postdoctoral, after a PhD etc.
postgraduate student GB
 US, CA graduate student
A student studying for a master’s or doctoral degree
posthumous
 After death (e.g. a publication or an award)
A posthumous award
pp.
 Pages
pp. 56–125
précis
 A concise summary
prima facie
 On the face of it
Prima facie evidence
prospectus
 A brochure detailing courses at a university or college
An alternative prospectus is sometimes published by students, giving the student view of the university and city
pt
 Part
PTO or pto
 Please turn over
publ.
 Published or publisher
q.v.
 See the cross-reference
raison d’être
 Reason for being
reader GB
 An academic post between senior lecturer and professor
recto
 Right-hand page
ref.
 Reference
refectory
 A dining hall
résumé
 A summary of your education and career
rev.
 Revised or review(ed)
SA
 In the PhraseBook, a South African spelling or term
sabbatical
 A break from normal work, often for a term or a year, for example to carry out research or to travel
Professor Martin is on sabbatical.
sc.
 Scilicet
a second GB
 The middle grade of an honours bachelor’s degree, divided into a 2:1 and a 2:2
He has a 2:2 in geography.
semester
 Half an academic year
senior lecturer GB
 US, CA approximately associate professor
sic
 Shows that something questionable in a quotation is correctly cited
sophomore US
 A second-year student
sorority US
 A female student society (with a name in Greek letters)
sp. (spp.)
 Species (plural)
stack
 A library storage area, usually not open to the public, where books are retrieved by library staff
status quo
 The way things are now
summa cum laude US
 With highest distinction
supervisor GB
 A lecturer or professor who supervises the work of a research student
suppl. or supp.
 Supplement
syllabus
 A plan of subjects to be studied
TA US
 Teaching assistant
TBA or t.b.a.
 To be announced
tenure
 A permanent post at a department or faculty
term GB
 One of the (normally) three periods of the academic year
a third GB
 The lowest grade of a bachelor’s degree
tr.
 Translated or translator
trans.
 Translated or translator
trimester
 A third of an academic year
tutor GB
 A university teacher who supervises a student
tutor US
 An advanced or graduate student who gives study help
tutorial GB
 A class where students discuss their work with a tutor
2:1 GB
 The upper middle grade of an honours bachelor’s degree
2:2 GB
 The lower middle grade of an honours bachelor’s degree
undergraduate
 A student studying for a bachelor’s degree
union
 A student organization or student building
upper case
 A capital letter, such as A, B, C
UP
 University Press
US
 In the PhraseBook, a US spelling or term
v.
 Versus
verbatim
 Quoted exactly word for word
verso
 Left-hand page
versus
 As opposed to, against
vice chancellor GB, AU
 The administrative head of a university
vice versa
 The other way round
vis-à-vis
 In relation to, regarding
vita
 A summary of your education and career
viva
 Oral examination
viz
 Namely
vol.
 Volume