O ČEZu, UNESCU a Ikee. Psaní iniciálových zkratkových slov a tendence k jejich skloňování
On ČEZ, UNESCO and Ikea. The writing of acronyms and the tendency to decline them

Summary/Abstract: The article is concerned with the graphic aspect of acronym usage in standard written Czech. It focuses on the abbreviations which can be pronounced not only when spelled out, but also as a single unit. The survey examines the competition of various acronyms’ declension forms in particular case positions, both in the case of abbreviations ending with a consonant (type ČEZ) and those ending with a vowel (types UNESCO and IKEA) for which contemporary handbooks and linguistic description allow the addition of case endings only in spoken Czech. The study shows that some types of acronyms also tend to be declined in standard written Czech contexts and analyzes the tension between preserving the abbreviation’s graphic integrity and treating it as an ordinary word written in lower case form. The results lead to the adjustment of some existing statements on acronyms.

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