CODEWITHSUNDEEP
internationalizationabbreviation
GuruKulki
GuruKulki

Reputation: 26428

Why is "internationalization" shortened to "i18n"?

When people discuss about internationalization, they use the word "i18n" more often. For first time I didn't get what they are referring to by "i18n", then I came to know that it means "internationalization".

So wanted to know why internationalization = i18n.

Upvotes: 39

Views: 8524

Answers (5)

Hugo Palomares
Hugo Palomares

Reputation: 9

I18n is a numeronym, not an abbreviation. It's just a shorthand that uses numbers, is widely accepted, and serves as a synonym for the original. It's much easier saying "24/7" when referring to 24 hours a day, seven days of the week. Or even "9/11" to refer to a specific event.

Upvotes: 0

OscarRyz
OscarRyz

Reputation: 199294

Because they didn't feel like writing the whole word.

i18n it's "i" followed by 18 characters ('nternationalizatio', count them) and a "n" and that's it.

Upvotes: 6

systempuntoout
systempuntoout

Reputation: 74134

18 is the number of letters between i and n in internationalization word.

This contraction is an English numerical contraction; contractions were the ellipsis of all but the first and last character is shown by the number of omitted characters

Upvotes: 10

kennytm
kennytm

Reputation: 523624

.

            1    1  1
   1---5----0----5--8
 i|nternationalizatio|n  == i18n

            1
   1---5----0
 l|ocalizatio|n          == l10n

See also http://www.w3.org/2001/12/Glossary#I18N.

Upvotes: 44

Derick Bailey
Derick Bailey

Reputation: 72888

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalization_and_localization

18 stands for the number of letters between the first i and last n in internationalization, a usage coined at DEC in the 1970s or 80s

Upvotes: 62

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