What Does Et Al Mean?

14.09.2023 Grady A. Lowry 0 Comments

What does et al stand for?

‘Et al.’ is short for the Latin term ‘et alia,’ which means ‘ and others.’ It is used in academic citations when referring to a source with multiple authors.

How do you use et al?

The abbreviation ‘et al.’ (meaning ‘and others’) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors. Here’s how it works: Only include the first author’s last name, followed by ‘et al.’, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).

Is it polite to use et al?

What Does “et al.” Mean? – If you think that the abbreviation “et al.” doesn’t even sound like English, you’re right. It’s not English, but Latin. Latin terms are often used in English writing, especially academic writing. “et al.” is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “et alia.” “Et alia” literally translated means “and others.” “Et al.” is therefore most frequently used to indicate multiple authors of a cited work.

“Et al.” has some strong similarities to other Latin abbreviations, namely “etc.” “Etc.” is an abbreviation of another Latin phrase “et cetera.” “Et al.” and “etc.” are easily confused because “etc.” also means “and others.” However, English writers distinguish clearly between “et al.” and “etc.” using one simple rule,

“Et al.” is used for people, while “etc.” is used for things or animals. For example, we could say “Jinkyung et al. went to the grocery store to buy ice cream, cookies, etc.” “Et al.” lets us know there are additional people besides Jinkyung, while “etc.” lets us know that they bought other items in addition to ice cream and cookies.

Etc.” is used widely in both formal and informal situations, while “et al.” is generally limited to formal academic writing.
One lesser known use of “et al.” is as an abbreviation of “et alibi.” “Et alibi” translates to “and elsewhere.” It is used in academic writing to indicate locations that do not appear in a list.

For example, we could write “Magpies of the genus Pica are found in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, et alibi.” However, “et al.” is not used in this way very often, and for the rest of this article, we will focus on how to use “et al.” as a short form of “et alia.”

Is it proper to use et al in an email?

Use it in an email greeting by saying, ‘Dear Mr. Smith et al.,’ when there is more than one recipient. For punctuation, always follow the abbreviation with a period since it’s short for ‘et alia’ or ‘and others.’

Is et al professional?

What Et Al. Means and How to Use It Correctly – INK Blog Main Et al. Takeaways:

Et al. comes from the Latin word meaning and others,
It’s used in scholarly texts and other source-inclusive writing like footnotes bibliographic lists, and on the covers of books that have multiple authors or contributors,
The period comes after the al because it’s an abbreviation of alia,
Et al. is for lists of people while etc. is for lists of things.
Et al. can also stand for et alibi, It means and elsewhere and is used to reference a subject that appears in other places in a text.

Et al. is an abbreviation for a Latin phrase that means and others, When an academic paper has more than one author, we use it after the principle author’s name to substitute multiple names in footnotes and bibliographies, If you’re unsure on how to use et al.

Here’s a detailed guide for you.
The term is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase et alia,
This is a gender-neutral term that means and others,
It can also stand for et alii, which is the masculine version usually used for all male-authors.
On the other hand, et aliae is the feminine version usually used for all-female authors.

Et al. can also stand for et alibi, which means and elsewhere, In this context, it usually references a subject that appears in other places in a text. Think of an alibi for a crime and it’s connection with a place: it confirms you were somewhere than the crime scene when the crime took place. Et al. simply means “and others” in English. While et al. is one of many Latin phrases the has borrowed, it isn’t as common as others. In fact, it appears almost exclusively in very formal writing, like scholarly text and academic publications. Many style guides advise writers to include all names in the initial citation.

Then, only use et al.
In subsequent mentions. Et al.
Is the abbreviated way to write the term.
However, when you say it out loud, you should say the full term et alia or et alii,
Another option is to say the English translation and others just like you might say for example when reading e.g., out loud.
Similarly, you write etc,

but when read it out loud, you say the full term et cetera, Use this Latin phrase to show that there are additional contributors or collaborators that don’t appear on a list. First, list the name of the principle author., add a space. Next, add et al. Don’t forget to add a period after al, Et al. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “et alia,” which means “and others” in English. What’s more, the rules of usage can vary depending on the stylebook you follow. In particular, the has several specific rules when it comes to et al.

APA Rules for Using Et al.:

Don’t italicize it.
You don’t use it for references with one or two authors.
If a reference has three, four, or five authors, the first citation should not use et al. All subsequent citations should include et al,
References with six or more authors should include one name, followed by et al.
If et al. creates ambiguity, names may be written out in all citations. This may include citations with overlapping authors.

Have you ever sent an email on behalf of your team or organization and got an email response with this kind of greeting: “Dear John et al. ” ? As discussed in this post, et al. means and others in English. Because of that, some people tend to add et al.

At the end of their email greeting to address not just the one who sent the email but the group of people or organization he/she’s representing.
Simply put, that greeting meant “Dear John and others “.
To answer the question, yes you can use et al.
In your email greeting.
But the real question is: Is it proper to use et al.

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in a greeting? The quick answer is no, Here are three reasons why you should avoid the use of et al. in your email greeting: 1. We use et al. to imply that there are other contributors to a written work, like a book or academic paper, that are not shown in the list of authors and contributors.2.

Et al. is commonly used in bibliographies, particularly footnotes and citations.3. Et al.
Is a very formal term and not all people know what it means.
Using it when greeting a group of people, whether in email or other forms of communication, can lead to confusion.
First, it shortens or simplifies references such as, in-text, and that include two or more contributors or authors.

Secondly, this phrase can also be a useful tool for keeping book covers uncluttered. This is especially the case for books like multi-author collections or anthologies, When using et al., there’s an easy rule for remembering where the period goes. Since the al is an abbreviation of alia, place the period after it to indicate a shortened word. Et al. shortens or simplifies references such as bibliographies, in-text citations, and footnotes that include two or more contributors or authors. On the other hand, if the phrase sits at the end of a sentence, it requires a single period. I was surprised to find that it isn’t difficult to punctuate et al.

Do not put a between the last surname in the list and et al.
However, a comma may follow Et al.
Where you would need a comma to maintain correct grammar.
One example is in situations where the phrase and others would require a comma after it: The little-known source he used, was credited to Jacobson et al., should be acceptable for our purposes.

Another example is with dates: The findings of the recently published study (Fuertes et al., 2020) confirm that including critical thinking exercises in the curriculum improve some test scores. It’s true that et al. and etc. both come from Latin. They are also both abbreviations. A period always comes after ‘al’ in et al. because it’s an abbreviation of the Latin word ‘alia.’ What’s more, et al. usually appears in formal research-driven or scholarly texts. Conversely, etc. appears in most types of writing. (etc.): The local farm stand has a wide variety of produce: apples, pears, cherries, lettuce, green beans, etc.

Et al.): Creation of a new vaccine was credited to the groundbreaking research done in 2016 by Hudson et al.
In Latin, et alibi means and elsewhere,
You can use it at the end of a list of locations.
In this case, it functions as a stand-in for places rather than people or things.
However, we don’t mean geographical or physical places like Canada, or Las Vegas.

When considering the other et al., the meaning in most cases is slightly different. In this way, we usually use it to refer to page numbers in book or specific lines in a text. For example, Et alibi is used to reference specific occurrences of subjects or words in a body of text such as The Bible or Dune.

In other words, we use to let the reader know exactly where to go in a text to find the information we just referenced In her comprehensive guide to mythological creatures, the author referred to sea serpents on pages 12, 34, 57, 92, et al.
Unless you’re a student, an academic, or a researcher, you may never have to use et al.

in anything you write. Correct! Wrong! The answer is TRUE. Et al. is used in academic citations when referring to a source with multiple authors.

A. et aliae
B. et alibi
C. et alii
D. et alia

Correct! Wrong! The answer is B. Et alii and et aliae are gender-sensitive variants of et alia, which means “and others.” Meanwhile, et alibi means “and elsewhere.” A. Et al. has a Greek origin, and means “and others.” B. We use et al. to simplify or shorten references.C.

Is et al Latin?

Definition of ET AL. There is a good deal of confusion surrounding et al., as is commonly the case with abbreviated Latin words (such as,, and ). Et al. comes from the Latin phrase meaning “and others.” It is usually styled with a period, but you will occasionally see et al as well.

Et al. typically stands in for two or more names, especially in bibliographical information. It’s preceded by a comma only when more than one name is listed (as in cases in which two or more texts are authored by the same person or by people with the same surname): The book by Carson et al. is regarded as the authoritative text on the topic.

The article by Jones, Perez, et al. is well-known, but the one by Jones, Lee, et al. has been more widely cited. It is only followed by a comma in cases in which the phrase “and others” would be followed by a comma: The documentation provided, credited to Hadid et al., is sufficient for our purposes.

The documentation Hadid et al. have provided is sufficient for our purposes. Punctuation isn’t the only confusing thing about et al. Its Latin origin causes some confusion too, because the phrase in Latin could be written three different ways, depending on whether the other things one referred to were masculine ( et alii ), feminine ( et aliae ), or neuter ( et alia ).

Another aspect of this word that creates confusion is the question of when it is appropriate to use it. Some language guides have argued that et al. should only be used to describe people. However, it is used (albeit infrequently) in reference to other things as well.

Et al. is most commonly found in scholarly writing, especially when used to avoid having to list a number of different authors in a bibliography or footnote. You can use it when describing the people who came to a dinner party, but it may sound rather odd. Some of the Latin abbreviations found in English have become well-suited to conversational usage (we often hear i.e.

used in speech), while others appear out of place. For instance, few people would say ” ibid. ” (which means “in the same place”) in response to the question “where are my hat and gloves?”

How do you use et al in Harvard?

If the work has four or more authors/editors the abbreviation ‘et al’ should be used after the first author’s name. It is also acceptable to use ‘et al’ after the first author if the work has three authors.

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Is et al only used in psychology?

This style is typically used in social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and history. When using a source with three or more authors, APA style dictates that only the first author’s name should be listed and et al.

Is et al plural?

How to use et al. in a research paper: Common mistakes to avoid –

Plural vs. singular: Wondering if et al. is a plural or singular verb? Whenever this confuses you, remember that because a phrase ending in “et al.” refers to a group of people, you will use plural verbs when the “et al.” phrase is the subject.

Incorrect: Smith et al. (2015) states that Correct: Smith et al. (2015) state that Also, “et al.” is plural and indicates at least two people. So, you cannot use et al. to substitute for only one author. For example, if you are dealing with three authors and have typed out two names, the last author cannot be replaced with et al.

Punctuation: “Et al.” is commonly misspelled as “et all,” “et. al.,” “et. al,” or “et-al.” Remember, “et al.” is composed of two words, with the “al” always followed by a period. The period indicates that the term is an abbreviation.

Using the incorrect style: Decide on the style guide to follow before you start your writing. The use of et al. in a sentence can vary if using APA, MLA, etc.

Possessive noun: When using a possessive noun, use ” ‘s ” after “et al.”

Correct: In Smith et al.s’ study. Correct: In Smith et al.’s study. But, it’s best to avoid possessive phrasing when using et al. Instead, change it “Smith et al. (2015) found that,,” or “In a study by Smith et al.”

Italics: Italicizing is unnecessary when using “et al.” But this is more of a style guideline and can vary.

“Et Al.” vs. “Etc.” and “Et Alibi”: “Et al.,” is sometimes confused with “Etc.” and “et alibi” but they mean different things and have other usages. “Etc.” meaning “rest,” is used at the end when listing things rather than people. “Et Alibi” means “and elsewhere” and is used when listing places or locations.

Finally, remember that when you think of the meaning of et al. in research, it is a word used to indicate other authors in the list. It is not intended to highlight the first author’s contribution as more important than the others, but simply to save space and time. References

Cambridge Dictionary https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/et-al
Purdue Online Writing Lab. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7 th edition) https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

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What is another way to say et al in a paper?

Meaning of ‘et al.’ – Correctly using ‘et al.’ becomes easy once you understand what ‘et al.’ means. ‘et al.’ is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase ‘et alii’ (masculine), ‘et aliae’ (feminine), and ‘et alia’ (neuter), all of which mean ‘ and others ‘,

Can you use et al instead of etc?

When to use “etc.” vs. “et al.” – Both Latin phrases are used when writing or talking about lists. “Et al.” is used to reference other people not specifically named in your list. “Etc.” is used when listing groups of nouns and adjectives. Other examples of how to use both phrases are: The bakery had a large variety of donut flavors, like chocolate, jelly, glazed, etc.

In this sentence, “etc.” is used to list the abundance of other flavors the bakery offers without listing them all. The authors of the clinical study are Jane Doe, John Doe, Billy Bob, John Johnson, et al. This sentence uses “et al.” to list the other authors of the clinical study that aren’t specifically mentioned.

Members of the football team, John, Bob, Mike, et al., gave the fans different flavored popsicles, like cherry, blue raspberry, lime, etc. This example uses both Latin phrases. “Et al.” is used as a placement for the other members of the football team.

Etc.” is used to describe the rest of the popsicle flavors offered to fans.
Etc.” and “et al.” aren’t the only commonly misused words and phrases in the complex English language.
No matter the origin of the phrase, it’s easy to get words that sound alike, have close spellings, or have similar meanings mixed up.

Learn the differences between commonly confused words and phrases so that you can speak and write clearly,

Can I write Dear all in an email?

The phrase ‘Dear All’ is perfectly correct, and you can use it as a greeting for group emails in both formal and informal situations. As this phrase is non-gendered and a polite email greeting, it is appropriate to use in a work or school email. If you’re considering how to start an email, ‘Dear All’ is a great option.

Does et al need a full stop?

Answered By: Referencing Enquiries Team Last Updated: Jan 14, 2022 Views: 10102 – Et al. is a shortened form of the Latin expression et alii meaning ‘and others’. This is abbreviated to et al. (with a full stop at the end) and it is used in a citation when you have three authors or more.

This makes your citation more manageable. When using the authors name in your writing you should include the full stop after et al. For example: Burrows et al. (2009) state that. However when not using the author’s name in your writing and the author/s surname/s are placed in brackets, you also need to add a comma after the full stop, as this follows the usual MMU Harvard standard for citations.

For example: (Burrows et al., 2009) If you have used et al. in your citation you need to list all authors in your reference list, for sources with up to eight authors. For sources with more than eight authors, follow the instruction in this section: For more information on presenting citations see the of the MMU Harvard guide

Should you never write et al in your reference list?

Harvard Referencing: Top 10 mistakes.and how to avoid them A common mistake we see is the incorrect use of et al. To remind you, this stands for ‘ and others ‘ and it should be used in your in-text citations only, to indicate a work has multiple authors.

In your reference list at the end of your work, you should include all of the authors. It should only be used if the source you are citing has four or more authors. Where a source has one, two or three authors, you should name them all in both your in-text citation and your reference. et al, should always be written in italics, with a full stop at the end of al,

Citation: Davey et al, (2015) discuss the mechanisms of antibacterial drugs. or Citation: Certain hepatropic viruses infect many people (Davey et al., 2015, p.66). Reference: Davey, P., Wilcox, M.H, Irving, W. and Thwaites, G. (2015) Antimicrobial chemotherapy,7th edn.

Oxford: Oxford University Press. has information on Setting out Citations. From the homepage, select ‘choose your referencing style’ then select the Harvard option and you will see ‘setting out citations’ listed on the right hand side. This gives comprehensive guidance on how to cite one, two, three and ‘four or more’ authors.

You will need to log in with your SGUL network login to see it. : Harvard Referencing: Top 10 mistakes.and how to avoid them

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What not to say in email?

9. “Probably” – This word only serves to add a level of uncertainty to what you’re saying. Be more concrete in your communications and remove it from your emails – if you’re not sure about something, be flexible or give yourself a deadline. Nothing sounds worse than “I’ll probably have it done today by 3 pm”.

Is et al only used for names?

Et Alia – Et alia is the Latin phrase for “and others,” and the phrase “et al.” is its abbreviated form. Et alia is meant to be used when a list contains too many people or things to name. In academic writing, it is used when citing sources with multiple authors.

Does et al only refer to authors?

The Latin term ‘et al.’ is short for ‘et alii’ and means ‘and others.’ The abbreviation is used when citing a source with multiple authors.

Is there a comma before et al?

When is a comma used before et al. in MLA style? | MLA Style Center

In MLA style, a comma is generally only used before et al. in the of works-cited-list entries when the author’s first and last names are reversed:The comma tells your reader that the name Anne is out of normal position and that the abbreviation attaches to the full name, not just to Anne.In contrast, in an entry starting with a name that is not reversed—for example, a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean name—no comma is needed:

Liu Chang et al. “Cong Changchungong dao Zhongcuigong.” Zijincheng, vol.175, 2009, pp.14-23. This is because the abbreviation stands for “and others,” and you should use it just as you would the phrase: The article was written by Liu Chang and others.

For the same reason, a comma is also not used before et al.
In the “Other contributors” slot: In other words, “Sabrina Alcorn Baron et al.” is the equivalent of “Sabrina Alcorn Baron and others.” Since the phrase only contains two items—”Sabrina Alcorn Baron” and “others”—no comma appears before “and.”,,,, Published 11 September 2018 : When is a comma used before et al.

in MLA style? | MLA Style Center

Is it ibid or id?

ibid. and id. – The abbreviation ibid. stands for the Latin word ibidem, which means “in the same place.” It is used in endnotes or footnotes when you cite the same source and page number(s) two or more times. If you cite the same source but a different page number, you can use ibid.

1. Barsby, 99-101.2. Ibid.3. Ibid., 97.

Although it is becoming less common, you may encounter the abbreviation id. used in a way similar to ibid. The abbreviation id. stands for idem, which means “the same person.” It is used in place of ibid. when the same author is cited but not the same page number. In such instances, ibid. is only used to repeat the preceding citation exactly. For example:

1. Barsby, 99-101.2. Ibid.3. Id., 97.

Do you use et al for 3 authors?

A Work by Three or More Authors – List only the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in every citation, even the first, unless doing so would create ambiguity between different sources. (Kernis et al., 1993) Kernis et al. (1993) suggest. In et al.

Et should not be followed by a period. Only “al” should be followed by a period. If you’re citing multiple works with similar groups of authors, and the shortened “et al” citation form of each source would be the same, you’ll need to avoid ambiguity by writing out more names. If you cited works with these authors: Jones, Smith, Liu, Huang, and Kim (2020) Jones, Smith, Ruiz, Wang, and Stanton (2020) They would be cited in-text as follows to avoid ambiguity: (Jones, Smith, Liu, et al., 2020) (Jones, Smith, Ruiz, et al., 2020) Since et al.

is plural, it should always be a substitute for more than one name. In the case that et al. would stand in for just one author, write the author’s name instead.

What does etc vs et al mean?

In this sentence, “etc.” is used to list the abundance of other flavors the bakery offers without listing them all.
The authors of the clinical study are Jane Doe, John Doe, Billy Bob, John Johnson, et al.
This sentence uses “et al.” to list the other authors of the clinical study that aren’t specifically mentioned.

Etc.” is used to describe the rest of the popsicle flavors offered to fans.
Etc.” and “et al.” aren’t the only commonly misused words and phrases in the complex English language.
No matter the origin of the phrase, it’s easy to get words that sound alike, have close spellings, or have similar meanings mixed up.

Learn the differences between commonly confused words and phrases so that you can speak and write clearly,

Is et al only used for names?

Grady A. Lowry