Hi Stan, There is a posting on the UKMA blog (http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/07/26/metric-symbols-universal/) in which I expanded on this matter. My posting was subsequently used in USMA News (with my permission).
May I commend this site to USMA readers - although it is written from a UK perspective, there are a number of postings that are of international interest. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stan Jakuba Sent: 05 February 2008 02:14 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:40380] Re: abbreviated "SI"---in ALL languages? You heard what is commonly said and it is wrong. There is a difference between abbreviation and symbol. The "le Systeme ........ " is symbolized in all languages by a crooked line resembling the Roman (meaning Latin, upright) character S and a vertical line, without a space between them. SI symbols are not abbreviations. As a point of interest, in countries that write in a non-Latin script, they use SI symbols and also symbols that may be abbreviations in their respective language. You see both of them on imports from Greece or Russia, and elsewhere sometimes. Think of the unit of electrical resistance (ohm) and its symbol - it illustrates the point. Stan J. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: 08 Feb 04, Monday 20:30 Subject: [USMA:40378] abbreviated "SI"---in ALL languages? >I have always been instructed that the name "Systeme International" (The > International System of Units) is abbreviated "SI" in all languages. Does > this > rule apply to languages that do not use Roman characters? > > > Paul > >
