Oh, AHLTA is a Proper Noun
By
Bob Brewin
Last week <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/a_new_vista_for_ahlta_redux.php>I referred to AHLTA</a>, the Defense Department's electronic health record system, as an acronym that stood for Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application system. It did when AHLTA was introduced in 2005.
Last week I referred to AHLTA, the Defense Department's electronic health record system, as an acronym that stood for Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application system. It did when AHLTA was introduced in 2005.
But, comments on the post have shown me the error of my ways. These comments cited an internal Military Heath System CITPO (an acronym which stands for Clinical Information Technology Program Office) Wire from Oct. 11, 2006, which declared AHLTA a proper noun and not an acronym.
I guess any outfit can turn an acronym into a noun, but it does worry me that an arm of the Defense Departmemt has started to tinker around with the English language. Where will this all end?
Nouns today, adjectives tomorrow, and adverbs next year. Who knows what changes in the language will be wrought by Defense personnel. I'm afraid this will lead to an inevitable linguistic degringolade. (I picked that word up in a letter to the editor in the Feb. 23 Financial Times.)
Meanwhile, with a nod to the musician Prince, AHLTA is definitely a noun, formerly know as an acronym.