Why is it Called UTC – not CUT?
The abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time is UTC. Why is it not abbreviated as “CUT” or “TUC”?
Coordinated Universal Time becomes “UTC”.
UTC – The World's Time Standard
The Official Abbreviation
The official abbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time is UTC. It came about as a compromise between English and French speakers.
- Coordinated Universal Time in English would normally be abbreviated CUT.
- Temps Universel Coordonné in French would normally be abbreviated TUC.
Avoiding Confusion
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Astronomical Union wished to minimize confusion and designated one single abbreviation for use in all languages.
UTC does not favor any particular language. In addition, the advantage of choosing UTC is that it is consistent with the abbreviation for Universal Time, which is UT, with the variations UT0 and UT1.