Here is an extract from a discussion between Pam Oddi and myself
on Crochet-Partners (see home page for link).

>I know that other CPers have raved about the ASN 101
>Crochet Stitches book, but don't think the info on languages was mentioned
>before.

I've looked at these terms, and it strikes me that the British aren't the only 
ones to differ from the Americans in crochet stitch naming conventions. I'm 
going to attempt to give an explanation of the American long-name, so feel 
free to correct me if I'm wrong!

>chain stitch

Chain stitch is made on the hook with yarn alone, and does not involve 
pushing the hook through existing work. It must be begin with a 'slip knot' 
to give a starting stitch on the hook.
 
>US      chain (ch)
>UK      chain
>French  maille en l'air (ml)
>Spanish cadeneta (cad)
>German  Luftmasche (Lftn)
>Italian punto catenella

>slip stitch

Push the hook through the work, pull back a loop of yarn and take that 
loop straight through the stitch already on the hook.

>US      slip stitch (sl st)
>UK      slip stitch (sl st)
>French  maille coulee
>Spanish punto enano (pe)
>German  Kettmasche
>Italian maglia bassissima

>single crochet

Push the hook through the work, pulling a loop of yarn through it onto 
the hook. Pull the yarn from the ball through both the loops on the hook.

>US      single (sc)
>UK      double
>French  maille serree
>Spanish punto bajo (pb)
>German  Feste Masche (fM)
>Italian maglia bassa (m. bassa)

>double crochet

Here you wrap the yarn once around the hook before pushing it through 
the work, then (with three loops on the hook) you pull yarn from the ball 
through two hook-loops at a time until you have a single loop on the hook. 

Most crochet stitches continue in this manner, with the difference being the 
number of 'wraps' you do before pushing through the work.

>US      double (dc)
>UK      treble (tr)
>French  bride (br)
>Spanish punto alto doble (pad)
>German  Stabchen (Stb)
>Italian maglia alta (m. alta)

>half double crochet

'Half' stitches mean you pull the hook through more than two loops at 
once. For half double, wrap the yarn around the hook, push the hook 
through the work and draw the yarn back (to get three loops on the hook) 
then pull yarn from the ball through _all_three_ loops.

>US      half double (hdc)
>UK      half treble (htr)
>French  demi-bride (demi-br)
>Spanish punto alto (pa)
>German  Halbe Stabchen (h.Stb)
>Italian mezza maglia alta

>treble crochet

As double crochet, but wrap yarn twice before pushing hook through work.

>US      treble (tr)
>UK      double treble (dtr)
>French  double bride (d-br)
>Spanish punto alto triple (pat)
>German  Doppel-Stabchen (D-Stb)
>Italian maglia altissima

Terms continue up in this way, but I'm not sure about foreign abbreviations. 
Wrapping the yarn three times around the hook before pushing into the work 
would be described as 'triple treble' in Britain and 'double treble' in America. 
Four times would be 'quadruple treble' in Britain and 'triple treble' in America...

Sorry to go on so, but I'm never convinced people actually understand the problem
in discussing 'foreign' crochet terms!