(Defining Abbrevs): Abbrev tables may not be empty when major modes

are loaded.

diff --git a/lispref/abbrevs.texi b/lispref/abbrevs.texi
index 56d08c7393b354253cf320f7cbbebb5526dd35a5..6facbf1e3b8ac7424cd783f48027eb48089c9057 100644 (file)
--- a/lispref/abbrevs.texi
+++ b/lispref/abbrevs.texi
@@ -131,9 +131,12 @@ to add these to @var{name} separately.)
 @comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up
 @section Defining Abbrevs
   @code{define-abbrev} is the low-level basic function for defining an
-abbrev in a specified abbrev table.  When major modes predefine
-standard abbrevs, they should call @code{define-abbrev} and specify
-@code{t} for @var{system-flag}.
+abbrev in a specified abbrev table.  When major modes predefine standard
+abbrevs, they should call @code{define-abbrev} and specify @code{t} for
+@var{system-flag}.  Be aware that any saved non-``system'' abbrevs are
+restored at startup, i.e. before some major modes are loaded.  Major modes
+should therefore not assume that when they are first loaded their abbrev
+tables are empty.
 
 @defun define-abbrev table name expansion &optional hook count system-flag
 This function defines an abbrev named @var{name}, in @var{table}, to