This article is about the Latin abbreviation. For other uses, see Cf.
Look up confer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The abbreviation cf. (short for the Latin: confer/conferatur, both meaning "compare")[1] is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed. Style guides recommend that cf. be used only to suggest a comparison, and the word "see" be used to point to a source of information.[2][3]
In biological naming conventions, cf. is commonly placed between the genus name and the species name to describe a specimen that is hard to identify because of practical difficulties, such as poor preservation. For example, "Barbus cf. holotaenia" indicates that the specimen is in the genus Barbus and believed to be Barbus holotaenia, but the actual species-level identification cannot be certain.[4]
Cf. can also be used to express a possible identity, or at least a significant resemblance, such as between a newly observed specimen and a known species or taxon.[4] Such a usage might suggest a specimen's membership of the same genus or possibly of a shared higher taxon. For example, in the note "Diptera: Tabanidae, cf. Tabanus", the author is confident of the order and family (Diptera: Tabanidae) but can only suggest the genus (Tabanus) and has no information favouring a particular species.[5]
^"cf". Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus. Cambridge University Press. n.d. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
^"Latin Terms and Abbreviations". The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. n.d. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
^(PDF). Michigan State University Press. p. 6, citing Chicago Manual of Style section 16.58. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 23, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2016. There is a distinction between see and cf.; use cf. only to mean 'compare' or 'see, by way of comparison'.
^ abBengtson, Peter. (PDF). Palaeontology. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
^Hartmann, Anne (February 2007). "Field Key for Selected Benthic Invertebrates from the HKH Region" (PDF). Draft Version. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
External links
The dictionary definition of cf. at Wiktionary
January 19, 2023
this, article, about, latin, abbreviation, other, uses, look, confer, wiktionary, free, dictionary, abbreviation, short, latin, confer, conferatur, both, meaning, compare, used, writing, refer, reader, other, material, make, comparison, with, topic, being, dis. This article is about the Latin abbreviation For other uses see Cf Look up confer in Wiktionary the free dictionary The abbreviation cf short for the Latin confer conferatur both meaning compare 1 is used in writing to refer the reader to other material to make a comparison with the topic being discussed Style guides recommend that cf be used only to suggest a comparison and the word see be used to point to a source of information 2 3 Contents 1 Biological use 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksBiological use EditIn biological naming conventions cf is commonly placed between the genus name and the species name to describe a specimen that is hard to identify because of practical difficulties such as poor preservation For example Barbus cf holotaenia indicates that the specimen is in the genus Barbus and believed to be Barbus holotaenia but the actual species level identification cannot be certain 4 Cf can also be used to express a possible identity or at least a significant resemblance such as between a newly observed specimen and a known species or taxon 4 Such a usage might suggest a specimen s membership of the same genus or possibly of a shared higher taxon For example in the note Diptera Tabanidae cf Tabanus the author is confident of the order and family Diptera Tabanidae but can only suggest the genus Tabanus and has no information favouring a particular species 5 See also EditAff Citation signal List of Latin abbreviations Viz References Edit cf Cambridge Advanced Learner s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Cambridge University Press n d Retrieved October 30 2016 Latin Terms and Abbreviations The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill n d Retrieved October 30 2016 Chicago Manual of Style 15th Ed Style Sheet PDF Michigan State University Press p 6 citing Chicago Manual of Style section 16 58 Archived from the original PDF on December 23 2015 Retrieved July 7 2016 There is a distinction between see and cf use cf only to mean compare or see by way of comparison a b Bengtson Peter Open Nomenclature PDF Palaeontology Archived from the original PDF on April 2 2015 Retrieved March 19 2015 Hartmann Anne February 2007 Field Key for Selected Benthic Invertebrates from the HKH Region PDF Draft Version Retrieved October 30 2016 External links Edit The dictionary definition of cf at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cf amp oldid 1124121680, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
