The FAQ is a good place to start as a new player.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=33869
About abbreviations, there are a lot of them but the key ones you need to know are the magic paths:
A - Air, E - Earth, F - Fire, W - Water, S - Astral, N - Nature, D - Death, B - Blood.
And also, SC - SuperCombatant. These are commanders (usually very strong summoned ones) that when equipped with magic items are capable of defeating entire armies by themselves.
Most other abbreviations are just for specific spells or items. You will learn those over time...