LATIN ABBREVIATIONS used in research, scholarly and literary writing can be bewildering. The use of certain conventions of language and abbreviations is part of the academic world. This NOTE summarizes commonly used abbreviations which you may encounter in your readings.

ab init. - ab initio - from the beginning
abr. - abridgment
ad init. - ad initium - in the beginning
ad int. - ad interim - in the meantime
ad loc. - ad locum - at the place
anon. - anonymous 
app. - appendix
art. - article
b. - born
Bib. - Bible
bibl. - bibliotheca - library
bibliog. - bibliography
biog. - biography
ca. - circa - about, around
c. - chapter (in legal citations)
© - copyright
cf. - confer - compare
col. - columna - column
comp. - compiled by
con. - contra - against
cont. - continued
cp. - compare
d. - died; daughter
def. - definition
deriv. - derivative
dial. - dialect
dict. - dictionary
do. - ditto
dram. pers. - dramatis personae - persons in the play
ed., eds. - editor(s), edition
e.g. - exempli gratia - for example
esp. - especially
et al. - et alii - and others
etc. - et cetera - and so forth
et seq. - et sequentes - and the following
ex. - example
f. or fem. - feminine, female
fig. - figure
fr. - from
gen. - genus
ibid. - ibidem - in the same place
id. - idem - the same
i.e. - id est - that is
incl. - including, inclusive
inf. - infra - below
in pr. - in principio - in the beginning
inst. - instant - this month, institute
lit. - literally
loc. - locus - place, locative
loc. cit. - loco citato - in the place cited
loq. - loquitur - he or she speaks
m. - married, male, meter, mile
m.m. - mutatis mutandis - with necessary changes being made
med. - median, medical, medieval
ms. - manuscriptum - manuscript
mus. - museum, music
n. - natus - born; note; footnote
nat. - national, natural
N.B. - nota bene - note well
no. - numerus - number
non obs. - non obstante - notwithstanding
non seq. - non sequitur - it does not follow
N.S. - New Style calendar
ob. - obiit - died
obs. - obsolete
op. cit. - opere citato - in the work cited
O.S. - Old Style calendar
pass. - passim - here and there throughout
Q.E.D. - quod erat demonstandum - which was to be demonstrated
q.v. - quod vide - which see
r. - recto - right-hand page
sup. - supra - above
trans. - translated, translator
ult. - ultimo - last month
ut sup. - ut supra - as above
v. - verso; vide - left-hand page; see
v., vs. - versus - against
viz. - videlicet - namely