Which is correct – etc. or ect.?
Ah, Latin. A medieval lingua franca of scholars. A basis for so many European languages. My secret language crush. The knowledge of Latin becomes quite rare nowadays. Yet, the language cannot be entirely forgotten, as we still find its traces here and there. One of such remnants is the abbreviation etc… or maybe ect.?
Etc. or ect. – which one is correct?
Etc. is the only correct version. It is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase ‘et cetera’. The second, incorrect spelling is often the result of the mispronunciation: ‘*excetera’.
Etc. – meaning and correct use. Examples in sentences
Etc. means ‘and so on’, ‘and so forth’ or ‘and the rest’. It is used for giving a list, which will not continue and will not be complete. Etc. can be accompanied by commas, just like in the example:
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 1952
Remember, though, that etc. is not followed by a comma if the phrase appears at the end of a sentence. See the example:
Clearly I do not, in a sense, ‘want’ to return to a simpler, harder, probably agricultural way of life. In the same sense I don’t ‘want’ to cut down on my drinking, to pay my debts, to take enough exercise, to be faithful to my wife, etc. etc.
George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier, 1937
Etc. or ect.? Now it is all clear! Full form
Sometimes etc. is written in its full form, i.e. ‘et cetera’. It should always be pronounced with a distinct /t/ sound at the end of ‘et’. Thanks to that, you can also avoid any future misspellings.
If you have any other questions related to English, do not hesitate to look for our help. As you can plainly see, we are not afraid of lengthy words, abbreviations, and even the tiniest issues:
