Editing Ship prefix (section)

==Usage==
Historically, prefixes for civilian vessels often identified the vessel's mode of propulsion, such as "MV" ([[Motor ship|motor vessel]]), "SS" ([[screw steamer]];<ref name=AskMediaGroup>{{Cite web |title=What Does SS Stand for on a Ship? |website=Reference.com |date=28 March 2020 |url= https://www.reference.com/world-view/ss-stand-ship-eda36063903ca754 |access-date=18 November 2022 |quote=screw steamer. It was originally used to distinguish a screw steamer from a paddle steamer, which was called a PS}}</ref> often cited as "steam ship"), or "PS" ([[paddle steamer]]).<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Amberley Publishing |isbn=978-1-4456-6558-0 |last=Megoran |first=John |title=PS Kingswear Castle |date=2017}}</ref><ref name=AskMediaGroup />

These days, general civilian prefixes are used inconsistently, and frequently not at all. In terms of abbreviations that may reflect a vessel's purpose or function, technology has introduced a broad variety of differently named vessels onto the world's oceans, such as "LPGC" (liquified petroleum gas carrier), or "TB" (tug-boat), or "DB" (derrick barge). In many cases though, these abbreviations are used for purely formal, legal identification and are not used colloquially or in the daily working environment. Prefixes indicating a vessel's purpose (e.g., "RMS" for a [[Royal Mail Ship|Royal Mail ship]] or "RV" for [[research vessel]]) are also used.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

Prefixes used for naval ships primarily reflect ownership, but may also indicate a vessel's type or purpose as a sub-set. Historically, the most significant navy was Britain's [[Royal Navy]], which has usually used the prefix "HMS", standing for "His/Her Majesty's Ship". The Royal Navy also adopted nomenclature that reflected a vessel's type or purpose, e.g. HM [[Sloop]]. Commonwealth navies adopted a variation, with, for example, [[His Majesty's Australian Ship|HMAS]], [[His Majesty's Canadian Ship|HMCS]], and [[His Majesty's New Zealand Ship|HMNZS]] pertaining to Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, respectively.

In the early days of the [[United States Navy]], abbreviations often included the type of vessel, for instance "USF" (United States [[Frigate]]), but this method was abandoned by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]]'s Executive Order No. 549 of 1907, which made "United States Ship" (USS) the standard signifier for USN ships on active commissioned service.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Executive_Order_549|title=Executive Order 549|last=Roosevelt|first=Theodore|date=8 January 1907|publisher=President of the United States|location=Washington, DC}}</ref>{{sfn|Naval History And Heritage Command}} United States Navy prefixes officially only apply while a ship is in active commission, with only the name used before or after a period of commission and for all vessels "in service" rather than commissioned status.{{sfn|Naval History And Heritage Command}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/customs-and-traditions/ship-naming.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203114725/http://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/customs-and-traditions/ship-naming.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 February 2015|title=Ship Naming|website=Naval History and Heritage Command|language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-04}}</ref>

However, not all navies used prefixes; this includes the significant navies of China, France and Russia.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

From the 20th century onwards, most navies identify ships by letters or [[hull number]]s (pennant numbers)<ref name="Pnum.Brit">{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopediabritannia.org/index.php/Pennant_number|title=Pennant number|access-date=9 March 2020|archive-date=20 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420125645/https://www.encyclopediabritannia.org/index.php/Pennant_number}}</ref> or a combination of such. These identification codes were, and still are, painted on the side of the ship. Each navy has its own system: the United States Navy uses [[hull classification symbol]]s, and the Royal Navy (e.g. 'D35' is destroyer 35 – [[HMS Dragon (D35)|HMS ''Dragon'']]) and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth use [[pennant number]]s.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

These tables list both current and historical prefixes known to have been used.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_7ycOuv6a4C&pg=PA55|title=Dictionary of Nautical Acronyms and Abbreviations|last=Launer|first=Donald|date=2006|publisher=Sheridan House, Inc.|isbn=978-1-57409-239-4|page=55}}</ref>