Why is "internationalization" shortened to "i18n"?

Question

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.

Dam i hate this abbreviation system, if its the first time your see it you have no chance to guess what it stands for. i18n, l10n, g11n, l12y or k8s I'm sure there are more are more out there that will bug me in the future! — Peter, Nov 27 '18 at 14:15
@BenjaminManns the question is if it should be `a00n` or `a0n`? — Peter, Nov 27 '18 at 14:22
To me it's less an abbreviation and more an optimization. Long paths can still cause problems in some systems. Microsoft only recently started allowing file paths [greater than 260 characters](https://mspoweruser.com/ntfs-260-character-windows-10/). — Typel, Jun 15 '19 at 00:13

score 59 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:38

59

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

answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:38

Derick Bailey

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Is "i18n" internationally used, or it abbreviated differently in languages where the cognate has a different number of letters? – dan04 Jul 22 '10 at 01:47

score 38 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:40

38

.

            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.

answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:40

kennytm

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Aaaah... the number of letters between i and n then... – Edouard Apr 30 '22 at 01:45

score 8 · Answer 3 · edited Aug 11 '18 at 15:54

8

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

edited Aug 11 '18 at 15:54

Unmitigated

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answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:38

systempuntoout

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Muphry's Law: Any text commenting on a spelling or grammar error will have a similar error itself. – teukkam Oct 03 '11 at 10:19

score 5 · Answer 4 · edited Aug 11 '18 at 15:56

5

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.

edited Aug 11 '18 at 15:56

Unmitigated

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answered Apr 13 '10 at 18:38

OscarRyz

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Um, that's why spell checkers were invented? – Mark Ransom Apr 13 '10 at 19:50

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 26 '23 at 21:16

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.

Why is "internationalization" shortened to "i18n"?

5 Answers5