Abbreviations in the Diary

print this page

William used a great many abbreviations. In some cases an abbreviation is explained in a note. Many are easily understandable, but a select list of common abbreviations and their meanings appear below. Common abbreviations such as "Dr." for Doctor, "Capt." for Captain, or "P.O. for Post Office have been excluded.

&c et cetera

+c et cetera

A

abt about

ac., acct. account

acq. acquaintance

Admr. administrator

advt, adt advertisement

aft. afternoon

afft. affidavit

agrt agreement

agt, agst. against

agt agent

Al. (or Albt or Abt) Albert

arrd arrived

Ast. Astoria

Ast & H. Pt R.R. Co. Astoria & Hunters Point Railroad Company

Atty attorney

Aug. August

B

B. of T. Board of Trustees (Liederkranz)

Bd Board

Bdway Broadway

bef. before

bet. between

Bk Bank

Bk. o. M. Bank of the Metropolis, New Yorki

Bldg., Blg., Buildg. building (sometimes followed by Com.= Committee)

Br. (br.) bridge

Braunsch., Braunschg Braunschweig, Germany

Brdway & B. B. R. R. Broadway & Bowery Bay Railroad

bro. brother

Buff. Buffalo

bus. business

C

C. (or Cen.) Park Central Park

C. W. Canada West

Cap. Capital, capitalization

Centl Centennial

Ch. H. St. Charles H. Steinway

Charl., Chas. Charles

Chick. Chickering

Chickgs. Chickerings (company)

Chu. Church

Cinc. Cincinnati, Ohio

Co. (or Comp.) Company

Colum. Columbus, Ohio

Com. Committee or Commission

Comp. Company

Con. (or Conc.) concert

cor. corner

Cr. creditors

Ct. Connecticut

Cts. cents

D

d. down

disc, disct discount

do. (or do) ditto

dur. during

E

East R. G. L. Co. East River Gas Light Company

Eg, ev., evg, ev'g, eveg, eve'g, e"g evening

espec. especially

exc. excursion

Expr. Express (train)

F

fact. (or fact) factory

fath. father

fin. finished

Fl. Florentiner (German currency at the time)

Fr. Frederick, Friedrich, Fred

fr. from

Frl. Fräulein (Miss)

Fr. St. Frederick T. Steinway

G

G. A. Bk. German American Bank

Geb. Gebrüder (Brothers, Bros.)

geb. geboren (born)

Geo. George

Germ. German

Grand Tr. R.R. Grand Trunk Railroad

Great W. R.R. Great Western Railroad

Greenw. Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn

H

H. R. R. R. Harlem River Railroad

H. R. R. R. Hudson River Railroad

H. St. Henry W. T. Steinway

H. Z. Henry Ziegler

I

Impt. improvement

Ind. Indiana

indept independent

Intr. introduction

J

J. C. R. R. Jersey Central Railroad

K

K. N. K. Knauth, Nachod & Kühne, New York law firm

Kr. Kreuzer (German currency at the time: pennies)

L

L.I.C. (or Long Isl. City) Long Island City, N.Y.

L.P. latex prophylactic (latex condom)

L.P. + Comp. Lyon, Potter & Company

L. T. Liedertafel (Buffalo singing society)

L.K. Liederkranz

let. letter

L.R.R. (or L. Road) elevated railrod

L.R.R.Co. Long Island Railroad Company

M

Manuf. Manufacturers

Mass. Massachusetts

Mdlle Mademoiselle

mem. memorandum

Mich. Michigan

mor.g, morn., Mrg morning

Mons, Mos. Monsieur

moth. mother

mtg. mortgage

Mus. musical

N

N. S. North Side

N. Y. New York

N. Y. & Erie R. R. New York & Erie Railroad

N.Y. + N.E. R.R. New York & North Eastern Railroad

N. Y. S. M. New York State Militia

nbr number

Nia. , Nig. Falls  Niagara Falls

O

oct. octave

Old Bow. Theatre Old Bowery Theatre

Ont. Ontario

P

Pa. Pennsylvania

Penn.R.R. Pennsylvania Railrod

Peny. uncertain; Pennsylvania Railroad

perfor. performance

pfg. Pfennig (0.01 Mark)

Phil. Philharmonic

pr. per or pro (by, via)

Pres. President

prop. property

R

R. E. real estate

R. R. Railroad

R. R. Regina Roos (after divorce from William)

R.T.C. (or Rapid Tr.Com,) Rapid Transit Commission

Reg. (or R.) Regina Roos Steinway

Regt. (or Reg. or Regt)

reh. (or rehears.) rehearse

resp. respective

Rest. restaurant

ret. return(s)

Revol. revolver

Rh. Rhein (Rhine)

Rh. Rheumatism

Russ. & T. Russell & Tolman, Steinway agents in Boston

Rway Railway

S

s.h. second hand

Septbr. September

shg shilling

Soc. Society

Soph. Sophie Steinway, wife of Charles G. Steinway

St + H.Pt R.R. Steinway & Hunter's Point Railroad Co.

St + S Steinway & Sons

St. Steinway

St. Isl. Staten Island

St. L., Alton & Chic. R.R. St. Louis, Alton, & Chicago Railroad

St. Theatre Stadttheatre

str. street

T

Th., Thlr. Thaler (German monetary word)

Th. Theatre

Th. Thomas (sometimes Theodore)

Thankg. Thanksgiving

transl. translation (or translated)

U

upt. uptown

U. St. United States

V

v. von

v. B. von Bernuth

Vice Pres. Vice President

W

w. with

Wash. Washington, D.C.