English acronyms as a way of linguistic retrenchment

This paper presents English acronyms as a way of linguistic retrenchment in the aspect of their differentiation according to their species, word-building model, acoustic form, usage area. Basic methods of the research: categorical analysis, determining of statistic parameters of word-forming models. In the process of the research the following types of acronyms were defined: 1) terms, 2) acronyms pronounced as individual letters, considered as complete words. According to the sphere of usage they are 1) names of institutions, state structures, 2) names of technical objects, 3) special concepts, 4) cultural concepts, 5) acronyms which are used secondarily for concepts and phenomena with a different semantic meaning, 6) acronyms grouping according to its stylistic affiliation at the forming basis of which colloquial words and phrases are. The authour draws the conclusion that English acronyms demonstrate obviously the factor of the so-called intentional forming of new language units to make simpler the word retrenchment. New perspectives of further development of the English word-forming system are analyzed.