Taken from the Latin, brevis, meaning short, abbreviations are everywhere. So here’s a handful of Italian ones with their meaning in brackets that you may come across during your visit.
People:
Sig. (Signor) – Mr
Sig.ra (Signora) – Mrs
Sigg. (Signori) – Messrs
Sig.na (Signorina) – Miss
Dott. (Dottore) – Doctor
Police:
VV.UU (Vigili Urbani) – Traffic Police
POLSTRADA (Polizia Stradale) – Highway Police
POLFER (Polizia Ferroviaria) – Railway Police
A.C. (Arma dei Carabinieri) – Carabinieri (rarely used now and only seen on very old police buildings, most offices just display the word Carabinieri).
Tourism:
A.A.T. (Azienda Autonoma di Soggiorno) – Local Tourist Board
A.G. (Alberghi per la Gioventù) – Youth Hostels
E.N.I.T. (Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo) – Italian State Tourist Office
S.C.V. (Stato della Città del Vaticano) – Vatican City
And finally one that you see most, especially on receipts and in shops:
I.V.A. (Imposta sul Valore Aggiunto) – Value-added Tax (V.A.T.)
