— Variable: global-abbrev-table

This is the abbrev table for mode-independent abbrevs. The abbrevs defined in it apply to all buffers. Each buffer may also have a local abbrev table, whose abbrev definitions take precedence over those in the global table.

— Variable: local-abbrev-table

The value of this buffer-local variable is the (mode-specific) abbreviation table of the current buffer. It can also be a list of such tables.

— Variable: abbrev-minor-mode-table-alist

The value of this variable is a list of elements of the form (mode . abbrev-table) where mode is the name of a variable: if the variable is bound to a non-nil value, then the abbrev-table is active, otherwise it is ignored. abbrev-table can also be a list of abbrev tables.

— Variable: fundamental-mode-abbrev-table

This is the local abbrev table used in Fundamental mode; in other words, it is the local abbrev table in all buffers in Fundamental mode.

— Variable: text-mode-abbrev-table

This is the local abbrev table used in Text mode.

— Variable: lisp-mode-abbrev-table

This is the local abbrev table used in Lisp mode and Emacs Lisp mode.