# Meaning of "ETA" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185 "2011-03-18T18:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/21 "2011-03-20T07:55:45Z")
Some how I often reverse the letters in my brain and think of it as: After the edit. Even though it is wrong, it is close enough. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/22 "2011-03-20T09:47:19Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > Of course, if you frequent message boards dealing with Basque independence, you should be pretty wary of the posters using that as a sign off… On the other hand, if you frequent Basque message boards, you’ll see “eta” all the time; it means “and” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/23 "2011-03-20T09:58:34Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > On the other hand, if you frequent Basque message boards, you’ll see “eta” all the time; it means “and” It seems very strange that a group would name itself after a function word in its own native language. If they pronounced it letter-by-letter, as opposed to reusing a very important and common word, it would make a lot more sense. For example, the Information Technology field isn’t called ‘it’; its called ‘I T’, with each letter being pronounced separately. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/24 "2011-03-20T14:53:02Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > On the other hand, if you frequent Basque message boards, you’ll see “eta” all the time; it means “and” [**E** uskadi **T** a **A** skatasuna](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETA) ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/25 "2011-03-21T11:46:09Z")
Thanks everybody! PS - I did do a search on the internet, but didn’t find anything except the normal Estimated Time of Arrival. I figured it had something to do with Editing, just couldn’t figure out the rest of the letters… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/26 "2011-03-21T11:56:39Z")
> [@Orionizer](#): > > Thanks everybody! > > PS - I did do a search on the internet, but didn’t find anything except the normal Estimated Time of Arrival. I figured it had something to do with Editing, just couldn’t figure out the rest of the letters… :smack: What does “PS” mean? 😕 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/27 "2011-03-21T12:11:25Z")
Heh, sorry - subliminal from one of the previous posts… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/28 "2011-03-22T13:33:34Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > On the other hand, if you frequent Basque message boards, you’ll see “eta” all the time; it means “and” And this is one of the reasons I don’t believe Basque is as isolated as some people claim. Eta is quite close to the Latin and French et. It would seem odd that one did not affect (or effect) the other. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/29 "2011-03-22T14:43:31Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > It seems very strange that a group would name itself after a function word in its own native language. If they pronounced it letter-by-letter, as opposed to reusing a very important and common word, it would make a lot more sense. For example, the Information Technology field isn’t called ‘it’; its called ‘I T’, with each letter being pronounced separately. To you, but you’re projecting your cultural biases on someone else who does not happen to share them. In Spanish, Basque, Galego and Catalan the standard is to pronounce any pronunceable acronym: RENFE is pronounced renfe, ETA is pronunced eta, and SAP (much to the disgust of the brand’s owners) is pronounced sap. **Canadjun** , I’m sure **zagloba** knows that. But eta is, indeed, the Basque word meaning “and”. The alternate “ta” was chosen for Euskadi ta Askatasuna specifically to make up that acronym **Derleth** finds bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/30 "2011-03-22T17:00:00Z")
No, as we all know, it’s the Estoteric Talmud Authority. ETA: According to Rabbi Yitzak of Berlin, 1520, the Sabbath does not begin for you until you are able to confirm the darkness. If you have no window to the outside and it’s Friday afternoon, it’s not the Sabbath for you until you look outside. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/31 "2011-03-23T01:29:06Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > **Canadjun** , I’m sure **zagloba** knows that. But eta is, indeed, the Basque word meaning “and”. The alternate “ta” was chosen for Euskadi ta Askatasuna specifically to make up that acronym **Derleth** finds bizarre. Oops! Sorry! I actually began to wonder if that was a dumb comment after the edit time was up. Oh well. I’m good at making dumb comments. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185/32 "2011-03-23T04:04:15Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Edited To Add. QFT. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-eta/575185.md?page=1)