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Conference thebay::joyoflex

Title:The Joy of Lex
Notice:A Notes File even your grammar could love
Moderator:THEBAY::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 28 1986
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1192
Total number of notes:42769

425.0. "Multinationals" by SKIVT::ROGERS (Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate) Wed Oct 28 1987 08:44

We all have seen companies in the United States whose names end in "Inc." for 
Incorporated or "Co." for Company.  In England there is "Ltd." for Limited, or 
something very close to it.  What about the mysterious letters which follow 
company names in other countries?  I'm not sure of how to translate them or 
what they mean.

Abbreviations which come to mind include:

S.A.		France
Regie		   "
S.P.A.		Italy
GMBH		Germany
Pty.		Australia

I'm sure there are others.  Any translations and/or additions?

Larry
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
425.1SAMARVIN::KNOWLESMen's sauna in corporation bathsWed Oct 28 1987 09:429
    France	Soci�t� Anonyme 	=	Spain	Sociedad An�nima
    
    I think what's 'anonymous' in a limited company is the individual(s)
    you can sue if their products don't work.
    
    I'd be surprised if the Portuguese wasn't be Sociedade An�nima, 
    but it's not an expression I've ever been conscious of.
    
    b
425.2As in "Svenska Aeroplan AB"ERIS::CALLASI like to put things on top of thingsWed Oct 28 1987 10:023
    AB in Sweeden.
    
    	Jon
425.3The Swedish ABTLE::SAVAGENeil, @Spit BrookWed Oct 28 1987 16:236
    Re: .2:
    
    Yes, the Swedish "AB"  pronounced, ah-bay, is equivalent to the
    British "ltd." [Limited].  The letters stand for aktie-bolag
    (joint-stock company), as in Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget--the
    Swedish airplane company--SAAB to you car buffs.
425.4Some expansions...WELSWS::MANNIONBonnets so redThu Oct 29 1987 04:4013
    GMBH Gesellschaft mit beschr�nkter Haftung  Company with limlited
    liability
    
    SpA Societ� per Azioni where Azioni means? (Aiuto Max!)
    
    PLC Public Limited Company, the new UK term
    
    AG Aktiensgesellschaft obviously the same as Azioni, must be something
    like ...oh, I give in, can't remember. You study German for 15 years
    then 8 years in bloody computing and you can't remember what a simple
    little word means.
    
    Phillip
425.5Ltd vs PlcAYOV18::ISMITHDoes grey matter?Thu Oct 29 1987 05:1017
    
    In the UK, there are two kinds of limited company - the private
    ones and the public ones.
    
    Ltd - Limited - A private limited company, which is small and is
    		    not quoted on the Stock Exchange.
    
    Plc - Public limited company - A large limited company which is
    		    quoted on the Stock Exchange, allowing its shares
    		    to be held by ordinary members of the public. Also,
    		    it allows the company to advertise share issues
    		    in the press. The phrases "Going public" and "Going
    		    for a full listing" refer to the move from being
    		    a private limited company to a full public one.
    
    
    	Ian.
425.6Australian Pty. . .QUOKKA::SNYDERWherever you go, there you areThu Oct 29 1987 09:572
    Pty  =  Proprietary
425.7DEC S.p.AMLNOIS::HARBIGFri Oct 30 1987 05:4819
    
                 Societa' per Azioni in Italy is a shareholding
                 company (not necesssarily quoted).
                  
                 Azioni are shares, Phillip, and a shareholder is
                 an azionista.
    
                 Dec's Italian subsidiary is Digital Equipment S.p.A
                 
                 
                 There are some other types of company in Italy and
                 the most common is S.r.L - Societa' di Risponsabilita'
                 Limitata - which is like a partnership but with a
                 limited liability.
    
                 
                                   Max
425.8One to get your tongue round :-)NEARLY::GOODENOUGHJeff Goodenough, IPG Reading-UKFri Oct 30 1987 09:074
    Dutch NV = Naamloze Vereniging same as Soci�t� Anonyme.  (Nameless
    = anonymous, geddit?).  As seen in NV Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken,
    the well known light bulb company (and all sorts of electronic and
    electrical goods).
425.9YIPPEE::LIRONMon Nov 02 1987 12:0512
    In France a R�gie is a government-owned company of some kind,
    such as Renault, or the (in)famous RATP (R�gie Autonome des
    Transports Parisiens) which handles the M�tro and the buses
    in Paris.
    
    In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, a R�gie is an
    estate agency; perhaps they get that sense from similarity 
    with German "Regierung".
    
    	roger
425.10Another languageBOLT::MINOWJe suis marxiste, tendance GrouchoSun Feb 14 1988 01:269
The Finnish equivalent is OY -- but I don't have a translation handy.
Because Finland is bilingual, most companies use both AB (Swedish) and OY,
as in "AB Digital OY."

One interesting (minimalist) company is Abloy: AB L[ock] OY.  They
make very good padlocks -- especially good for the cold winters as
they can easily be defrosted without internal damage.

Martin.
425.11TKOV51::DIAMONDTue Mar 27 1990 04:4513
    In case anyone is still interested, the Japanese term
    "Kabushiki Kaisha" is usually abbreviated K.K. in English.
    Kabu = share; shiki = ?; kaisha = company.  Some companies
    translate "K.K." to "Ltd." or "Corp." or "Inc." apparently
    at random.
    
    Incidentally, "Ltd." is still used in Canada, sometimes
    "Ltd./Ltee".  "Inc." is picking up a little bit because
    it's a bilingual abbreviation.
    
    In Canada, the private sector is that which is controlled
    by the government.  The public sector is that which no one
    controls.  [Quotation from several years ago but still true.]