Enemies of brevity

SIR – The Government Digital Service has decided to ban Latin abbreviations “to avoid confusing non-English speakers” (report, July 24).

Our rich and uniquely flexible language has developed over the centuries with influences from all over the world, and Latin as a major stem.

Immigrants have a responsibility to learn our language. Civil servants must not be allowed to interfere with our cultural heritage. Cdr Alan York RN (retd) Sheffield, South Yorkshire SIR – It is claimed that accepted abbreviations such as etc may confuse non-native English speakers and throw anyone who is reading under stress or “in a hurry”.

Should we now expect a ban on words with Arabic roots, for example – or words of more than one syllable? Suzanne High Doncaster, South Yorkshire SIR – The Government should ban ie and eg, and instead use the correct forms – i.e. and e.g. – followed by a comma, as there would be after “that is” or “for example”.

The full stops make clear that these are abbreviations, and no sensible person would confuse e.g. with egg, whatever the context. These are useful shortenings and our language would be poorer – and longer – without them. Dr Bernard Lamb President, Queen’s English Society London SW14 SIR – I get up at 7 am and go to bed at 10.30 pm. Will it really be helpful if I start waking up at 7 o’clock in the morning and retiring at 10.30 o’clock at night? Eddie Collings Pinner, Middlesex SIR – Gov.uk has declared that abbreviations such as etc and eg are confusing our foreign friends.

What does gov.com mean? Richard Beaugie Shadoxhurst, Kent