Instruction-encoding terminology: when referring to instruction words, what does the term mnemonic represent in assembly programming for microprocessors such as the 8085A?

Introduction / Context:
Assembly languages use human-readable tokens to represent operations and addressing modes. These tokens are designed to be memorable and concise, simplifying low-level programming and documentation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• An instruction typically includes an operation and optional operands.
• Examples: MOV A,B (move), ADD M (add memory), JMP 2000H (jump).
• We must identify what “mnemonic” denotes within such instructions.

Concept / Approach:
The mnemonic is the symbolic name of the operation (op-code) such as MOV, ADD, SUB, JMP. Operands specify sources, destinations, or addresses. Assemblers translate mnemonics into numeric op-codes understood by the CPU.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Assembler reference manuals list mnemonics mapped to op-code bytes, confirming the role of mnemonics.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• A/C: describe operands, not the operation keyword.
• D: machine language is binary/hex; mnemonics are symbolic, not machine code.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming mnemonics imply exact op-code encoding across architectures; the same mnemonic may assemble to different op-codes on different CPUs.

Final Answer:
a short abbreviation for the operation to be performed