News:

Norwegian Language Council nixes abbreviation

UU, in capital letters, is reserved for utarmet uran (=depleted uranium).

There have been many different abbreviations for the Norwegian term for universal design (universell utforming) over the years. These days, Norwegians should view an invitation to attend a UU-meeting with caution, because according to the Norwegian Language Council, that meeting will involve issues relating to depleted uranium. For Norwegians working in the field of universal design, an invitation to a uu-meeting will be more appropriate.

31.10.2008

Capital U is the chemical symbol for uranium, and the abbreviation UU stands for utarmet uranium (depleted uranium). According to the Norwegian Language Council, the term universell utforming (universal design) should avoid confusion by consistently using the abbreviation uu, and no periods (u.u.) allowed.

For those who wonder what depleted uranium is, it is uranium from which most of the fissile isotope uranium-235 has been removed after processing for use as fuel in a nuclear reactor.