Abbreviations

Abbreviations of technical terms or of official titles are of very extensive use in Masonry. They were, however, but rarely employed in the earlier Masonic publications. For instance, not one is to be found in the first edition of Anderson's Constitutions. Within a comparatively recent period they have greatly increased, especially among French writers, and a familiarity with them is therefore essentially necessary to the Masonic student. Frequently, among English and always among French authors, a Masonic abbreviation is distinguished by three points, .'. , in a triangular form following the letter, which peculiar mark was first used, according to Ragon, on the 12th of August, 1774, by the Grand Orient of France, in an address to its subordinates. No authoritative explanation of the meaning of these points has been given, but they may be supposed to refer to the three lights around the altar, or perhaps more generally to the number three, and to the triangle, both important symbols in the Masonic system.

Before proceeding to give a list of the principal abbreviations, it may be observed that the doubling of a letter is intended to express the plural of that word of which the single letter is the abbreviation. Thus, in French F.'. signifies “Frere,” or “Brother” and FF.'. “Freres,” or “Brothers.” And in English L.'. and LL.'. to denote “Lodges.” This remark is made once for all, because I have not deemed it necessary to augment the size of the list of abbreviations by inserting these plurals. If the reader finds S.'.G.'.I.'. “Sovereign Grand Inspector,” he will be at no loss to know that SS.'. GG.'. II.'. must denote “Sovereign Grand Inspectors.”

List of Principal Abbreviations

* A.'. Dep.'. - Anno Depositionis. In the Year of the Deposit. The date used by Royal and Select Masters. * A.'. & A.'. - Ancient and Accepted. * A.'. & A.'. S.'. R.'. - Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. * A.'. & A.'. R.'. - Ancient and Accepted Rite as used in England. * A.'. F.'. M.'. - Ancient Freemasons. * A.'. F.'. & A.'. M.'. - Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. * A.'. Inv.'. - Anno Inventionis. In the Year of the Discovery. The date used by Royal Arch Masons. * A.'. L.'. - Anno Lucis. In the Year of Light. The date used by Ancient Craft Masons. * A.'. L.'. D.'. G.'. D.'. L.'.U.'. - A la Gloire du Grand Architecte de l'Univers. To the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe. (French.) The usual caption of French Masonic documents. * A.'. LO.'. - A l'Orient. At the East. (French.) The seat of the Lodge. * A.'. M.'. - Anno Mundi. In the Year of the World. The date used in the Ancient and Accepted Rite. * A.'. O.'. - Anno Ordinis. In the Year of the Order. The date used by Knights Templars. * A.'. Y.'. M.'. - Ancient York Mason. * B.'. A.'. - Buisson Ardente. Burning Bush. * B.'. - Bruder. (German for Brother.) * B.'. B.'. - Burning Bush. * B'n.'. - (German for Brethren.) * C.'. - Celestial Canopy. * C.'. H.'. - Captain of the Host. * D.'. - Deputy. * D.'. G.'. G.'. H.'. P.'. - Deputy General Grand High Priest. * D.'. G.'. H.'. P.'. - Deputy Grand High Priest. * D.'. G.'. M.'. - Deputy Grand Master. * D.'. Prov.'. G.'. M.'. - Deputy Grand Master. * Dis.'. D.'. G.'. M.'. - District Deputy Grand Master. (England.) * D.D.G.M. - (America.) * E.'. - Eminent; Excellent. * E.'. A.'. - Entered Apprentice or E.'. A.'. P.'. * E.'. C.'. - Excellent Companion. * Ec.'. - Ecossaise. (French.) Scottish; belonging to the Scottish Rite. * E.'. C.'. - Eminent Grand Commander. * E.'. V.'. - (French.) Vulgar Era; Year of the Lord. * F.'. - Brother. (French.) * F.'. C.'. - Fellow Craft. * F.'. M.'. - Freemason. Old Style. * G.'. - Grand. * G.'. A.'. - Grand Annual Sojourner. * G.'. A.'. O.'. T.'. U.'. - Great Architect of the Universe. * G.'. C.'. - Grand Chapter; Grand Council. * G.'. Com.'. - Grand Commandery; Grand Commander. * G.'. D.'. - Grand Deacon. * G.'. D.'. C.'. - Grand Director of Ceremonies. * G.'. E.'. - Grand Encampment; Grand East. * G.'. G.'. C.'. - General Grand Chapter. * G.'. G.'. H.'. P.'. - General Grand High Priest. * G.'. H.'. P.'. - Grand High Priest. * G.'. L.'. - Grand Lodge. * G.'. M.'. - Grand Master. * G.'. N.'. - Grand Nehemiah. * G.'. O.'. - Grand Orient; Grand Organist. * G.'. P.'. - Grand Pursuivant. * G.'. P.'. S.'. - Grand Past Sojourner. * G.'. R.'. - Grand Registrar. * G.'. R.'. A.'. C.'. - Grand Royal Arch Chapter. * G.'. S.'. - Grand Scribe; Grand Secretary. * G.'. S.'. B.'. - Grand Sword Bearer; Grand Standard Bearer. * G.'. T.'. - Grand Treasurer. * H.'. A.'. B.'. - Hiram Abif. * H.'. E.'. - Holy Empire. * H.'. K.'. T.'. - Hiram, King of Tyre. * H.'. R.'. D.'. M.'. - Heredom. * Ill.'. - Illustrious. * I.'. N.'. R.'. I.'. - Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudxorum. (Latin.) Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. * I.'. P.'. M.'. - Immediate Past Master. (English.) * I.'. T.'. N.'. O.'. T.'. G.'. A.'. O.'. T.'. U.'. - In the Name of the Great Architect of the Universe. Often forming the caption of Masonic documents. * J.'. W.'. - Junior Warden. * K.'. - King. * K-H.'. - Kadosh, Knight of Kadosh. * K.'. H.'. S.'. - Knight of the Holy Sepulcher. * K.'. M.'. - Knight of Malta. * K.'. S.'. - King Solomon. * K.'. T.'. - Knights Templar. * L.'. - Lodge. * LL.'. - Lodges. * L.'. R.'. - London Rank. A distinction introduced in England in 1908. * M.'. - Mason. * M.'. C.'. - Middle Chamber. * M.'. E.'. - Most Eminent; Most Excellent. * M.'. E.'. G.'. H.'. P.'. - Most Excellent Grand High Priest. * M.'. E.'. G.'. M.'. - Most Eminent Grand Master (of Knights Templar). * M.'. L.'. - Mere Loge. (French.) Mother Lodge. * M.'. M.'. - Master Mason. * M.'. M.'. - Mois Maconnique. (French.) Masonic Month. March is the first Masonic month among French Masons. * M.'. W.'. - Most Worshipful. * M.'. W.'. S.'. - Most Wise Sovereign. * O.'. - Orient. * OB.'. - Obligation. * P.'. - Past. * P.'. G.'. M.'. - Past Grand Master. * P.'. M.'. - Past Master. * Prov.'. - Provincial. * Pro.'. G.'. M.'. - Pro-Grand Master. * Prov.'. G.'. M.'. - Provincial Grand Master. * P.'. S.'. - Principal Sojourner. * R.'. A.'. - Royal Arch. * R.'. C.'. or R.'. t.'. - Rose Croix. Appended to the signature of one having that degree. * R.'. E.'. - Right Eminent. * R.'. F.'. - Respectable Frere. (French.) Worshipful Brother. * R.'. L.'. or R.'. O.'. - Respectable Loge. (French.) Worshipful Lodge. * R.'. S.'. Y.'. C.'. S.'. - Rosy Cross (in the Royal Order of Scotland). * R.'. W.'. - Right Worshipful. * S.'. - Scribe. * S.'. C.'. - Supreme Council. * S.'. G.'. I.'. G.'. - Sovereign Grand Inspector General. * S.'. P.'. R.'. S.'. - Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. * S.'. S.'. - Sanctum Sanctorum or Holy of Holies. * S.'. S.'. S.'. - Trois fois Salut. (French.), Thrice greeting. A common caption to French Masonic circulars or letters. * S.'. W.'. - Senior Warden. * T.'. C.'. F.'. - Tres Chere Frere. (French.) Very Dear Brother. * T.'. G.'. A.'. O.'. T.'. U.'. - The Great Architect of the Universe. * V.'. or Ven.'. - Venerable. (French.) Worshipful. * V.'. D.'. B.'. - Very Dear Brother. * V.'. D.'. S.'. A.'. - Veut Dieu Saint Amour, or Vult Dei Sanctus Animus. A formula used by Knights Templar. * V.'. L.'. - Vraie lumiere. (French.) True light. * V.'. W.'. - Very Worshipful. * W.'. - Worshipful. * W.'. M.'. - Worshipful Master. * O.'. - Lodge. * E.'. - Lodges.

Prefixed to the signature of a Knights Templar or a member of the A.'. & A.'. Scottish Rite below the Thirty-third Degree.

Prefixed to the signature of a Grand or Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar or a Mason of the Thirty-third Degree in the Scottish Rite.

Prefixed to the signature of a Grand or Past Grand Master of Knights Templar and the Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.