Cf. 1250078 224727883 2008-07-10T04:02:22Z Senator Palpatine 7357381 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/83.250.211.74|83.250.211.74]] ([[User talk:83.250.211.74|talk]]) to last version by Waacstats {{lowercase}} {{otheruses3|Cf}} {{wiktionarypar|cf.}} '''cf.''' is an abbreviation for the [[Latin]]-derived (but also modern [[English language|English]]) word ''confer'', meaning "compare" or "consult". It is mainly used in [[Common law|common]] and statute law contexts as well as in academic writing<ref>[http://www.latrobe.edu.au/lasste/resources/scholabbrev.html Scholarly Abbreviations at LaTrobe University]</ref>. Thus ''cf.'' is often used by authors in the text of their article or book to refer to other academic material which may provide auxiliary information or arguments to the understanding of theirs. It is sometimes used (primarily in dictionaries) to imply insight into the preceding word's [[etymology]] &mdash; that is, to suggest how one term obtained its particular naming convention (perhaps from another phrase). For example, the phrase "[[Big Whack]] (cf. [[Big Bang]])" suggests to the reader that the usage of the [[moniker]] (self-given nickname) "Big Whack" derives at least its name from the latter. In the system of [[binomial nomenclature]], the use of ''cf.'' is similarly used to indicate that the species needs to be seen in context of its comparison to another, but by definition is not confirmed as the same. For example ''Corvus'' cf. ''splendens'' indicates "a bird similar to the [[House Crow]] but not certainly identified as this species". For this reason many mistakenly believe that ''cf.'' is an abbreviated form of "confirmed" or "inconfirmatus" or the like. ==See also== *[[List of Latin abbreviations]] ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Bibliography]] [[Category:Latin legal phrases]] [[Category:Latin literary phrases]] [[Category:Abbreviations]] [[Category:Scientific nomenclature]] {{lit-stub}} {{law-term-stub}} [[de:Zitat#Zitate_in_der_Wissenschaft]] [[es:Véase]] [[fr:Confer]] [[hu:Vö.]] [[nl:Cf.]]