Generic Phrases

What do the abbreviations viz. and i.e. stand for, from what Latin phrases are they?

And e.g. from what phrase is that? What about Q.E.D.?

Public Comments

1. When you mean “for example,” use e.g. It is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase exempli gratia. When you mean “that is,” use “i.e.” It is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase id est. Either can be used to clarify a preceding statement, the first by example, the second by restating the idea more clearly or expanding upon it. Because these uses are so similar, the two abbreviations are easily confused. If you just stick with good old English “for example” and “that is” you won’t give anyone a chance to sneer at you. If you insist on using the abbreviation, perhaps “example given” will remind you to use “e.g.,” while “in effect” suggests “I.E.” The adverbs viz and videlicet are two words of Latin origin used today as synonyms of "namely", "precisely", "that is to say", and introduce a specification or a more detailed description of something stated before. Often, as with a syntactical-descriptive colon, this is a list. Though both forms survive in many modern languages, viz is by far more common in English than videlicet. Also, by English tradition, viz is read aloud as "namely" or "to wit," not phonetically as [vɪz]. In writing, it is now usually followed by an unnecessary period (see below). Unlike e.g., neither viz or videlicet should be used to introduce examples.
2. viz. is from "videlicet"; the meaning is "namely" or "in other words" . The "z" ending comes from a medieval Latin symbol for "et". i.e. from "id est" - meaning "that is to say" indicating an explication e.g. from "exempli gratia", meaning "for example" Q.E.D. from "quod erat demonstrandum" meaning "something has been proved". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since you have got all your punctuation right, you are clearly concerned about always getting your English right. Buy a good Dictionary (NOT one of these second language Dictionaries, which are good in themselves but which you have now left far behind you). If you don't you will find English a veritable minefield. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By the time I got my answer in I found that the pretty "Dinqey" had posted an excellent answer. Why don't you give her the nod - I find that she hasn't got a single "Best Answer" - strange!