# What, exactly, do the literay abbreviations i.e., e.g., and et. al. mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092 "2003-09-17T05:01:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/1 "2003-09-17T05:01:07Z")
I just realized the other day that I have no idea what these abbreviations mean. In fact, I can’t even look them up, for the same reason. I am also aware of their meaning only through context, and then vaguely. From what I can tell, “i.e.” somehow means something like the phrase “that is,” although damned if I can see how. Likewise, “e.g.” means something like “therefore,” and “et. al.” means “and so forth.” Once I started thinking about this, I realized that never in my entire life had anyone told me what these little abbreviations meant. I’ve seen them in things written by other people, and sort-of knew what they meant. But now I REALLY want to know. Do the letters stand for some complete phrase in Latin? What is that phrase? How does it translate? ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/2 "2003-09-17T05:04:36Z")
i.e. is latin for “id est” which means “that is” e.g. latin for “exempla grata” (or whatever spelling…), basically means “for example” et. al. means “and others” though I’m not sure of the exact word al stands for. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/3 "2003-09-17T05:04:53Z")
I guess I meant I don’t know what words the abbreviations apparently _stand for_, because I do have some idea what they mean. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/4 "2003-09-17T05:07:18Z")
top of head: i.e. is “id est”-- or “that is” etc. is “et cetera” --“and following” (?) wait, I’ll look em up: not “following”: “and the rest” e.g.: “exempli gratia”-- “for example” et al. : “et alii”-- “and others” you use “etc.” for non-human nouns; et al. doesn’t mean “and so forth”; it specifically refers to _people_. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/5 "2003-09-17T05:07:18Z")
Thanks, **Garfiled**! Boy, that was _fast_. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/6 "2003-09-17T05:09:06Z")
Oips. by the way, there is no period after “et” in any of these; _et_ is a whole word, not an abbreviation. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/7 "2003-09-17T05:09:35Z")
See, **lissener** , that’s what you get for looking things up! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/8 "2003-09-17T06:33:26Z")
I thought “et al.” was an abbreviation for “et alia” - same word as in the phrase “inter alia” [[amongst other things"]. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/9 "2003-09-17T07:33:24Z")
et al. = et alia (“and other things”) or et al. = et alii (“and other people”, especially when referring to males or a mixed group or a group of indeterminate sex) or more rarely et al. = et aliae (“and other people”, referring to a group that is known to be exclusively female) ---
**Author:** ![Conrad\_Verloc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Conrad\_Verloc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conrad_Verloc)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/10 "2003-09-17T08:05:51Z")
Eugene Ehrlich, in his book, Amo, Amas, Amat and More, How to Use Latin to Your Own Advantage and to the Astonishment of Others (1985 Harper and Row; N.Y., NY) has this to say about _et al._: "abbreviation of **et alii, et aliae, et alia** " This abbreviation is used in writing to avoid a lengthy listing. **Et alii** (et AH-lee–ee) is masculine, so it is properly used in speech to mean ‘and other men’ when preceded by the name of a male or to mean “and other people.” **Et aliae** (AH-lee-i)is feminine, so it is properly used in speech to mean ‘and other women.’ **Et alia** (AH-lee-ah) is neuter, so it is properly used in speech to mean ‘and other things.’ Educated persons do not pronounce the abbreviation _et al._ ‘And others’ is said for _et al._" ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/11 "2003-09-17T15:32:22Z")
Here’s a way for non-Latin speakers to remember i.e. and e.g. i.e. = in explanation e.g. =example given Sure, it’s not _precisely_ what they mean, but it’s close enough to keep you out of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/12 "2003-09-17T16:09:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Likewise, “e.g.” means something like “therefore,” Are you thinking of “ergo”? Ergo does mean “therefore”, in the sense that you’d use it in a logical argument. For instance, in Descartes’ “I think, ergo I am”, the implication is “I think. Because of the fact that I think, I know it is true that I am.”, not “The reason for my existance is thinking.”. But so far as I know, “ergo” is never abbreviated. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/13 "2003-09-17T22:49:38Z")
I’d like to add that it’s a common copyediting convention to change these to their English equivalents. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/14 "2003-09-18T05:39:25Z")
Just thought I’d add two more that have always annoyed me. viz. (videlicet). Means namely. Use to introduce specifically the items that compose what has been previously expressed as a whole. N.B. (nota bene) Means note well and does not in any way refer to the element Niobium. Use to call attention to a point. Unlike most abbreviations from Latin, N.B. is always capitalized N.B. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/15 "2003-09-18T07:41:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Garfield226 \* > \*\*et. al. means “and others” though I’m not sure of the exact word al stands for. \*\* Al was a Roman citizen who lived from 143 to 91 B.C. He had a very nondescript face. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Roches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Roches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roches)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/16 "2003-09-18T11:57:53Z")
A relative of _viz._ that’s encountered only rarely is _sc._, for _scilicet_ “let it be known”. It’s used to explain obscure or vague words – for example, if a classical text is being discussed and an obscure work is mentioned that would have been known to the author’s contemporaries, one might write “_sc._, a tragedy set in Mycenae which has been lost.” I only ever saw this one in the Oxford English Dictionary. And there’s _vide_ or _v._ for “see”, and _vide supra/infra_ for “see above/below”, and _q.v._ for _quod vide_ “which see”. People often confuse _i.e._ and _e.g._; the meaning is not the same. _i.e._–“that is” – means one refers to a specific thing, while _e.g._ means that one is stating one example of what is being discussed, with the assumption that other examples exist and are also being discussed. Conrad Verloc: It is not my experience that ‘educated people’ replace these abbreviations with the English equivalents in speech. I’ve heard many references to journal articles as “Paabo _et al._” (though the usual practice is to use just the name of the first author listed). Chronos: Descarte’s _cogito, ergo sum_ implies that because he knows he is thinking, he knows at least that he exists, but cannot be certain about anything else, because his senses could be being deluded entirely by an evil demon. At least that’s what they told me when I was reading _Meditations_ – the Cogito is from _Discourse on Method_, which I didn’t read. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/17 "2003-09-18T13:46:42Z")
**Scarlett** nails it - it’s also common among technical writers (of which I am one) to avoid using these abbreviations in favor of their common equivalents. That is, if you want to write, “for example,” you write, “for example.” Technical writers do this because a) there is confusion as to what the abbreviation means, and b) it takes longer for readers to puzzle out the abbreviation than simply read and quickly understand the more common equivalent. So if you’re writing something, don’t use them. Your readers will thank you. Snicks ---
**Author:** ![cleops](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2acd7d/32.png) [@cleops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleops)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/18 "2003-09-18T14:14:30Z")
What’s “ïnfra dig” (?)? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/19 "2003-09-18T14:26:35Z")
_Infra dignitatem_ - beneath one’s dignity. As in, some Dopers apparently find consulting a dictionary for these everyday abbreviations to be infra dig. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092/20 "2003-09-18T14:40:47Z")
There is also ibid. Dunno what it satnds for, but one place you use it is with footnotes. It means this footnote comes from the same source as the last one. made up example: The average elephant weighs more than the average shrew(1). but less than the average blue whale(2) . . . (1) Fred Smith’s Amazing Animal Facts, page 23 (2) ibid Brian (hope I got that right) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-do-the-literay-abbreviations-i-e-e-g-and-et-al-mean/202092.md?page=2)