5. Shortened Words

Question 1

What’s the difference between lexical and graphical abbreviations?

Answer 1

Lexical. Happens both in oral and written speech.
Graphical. Happens only in written speech.

Question 2

What’s linguistic economy?

Answer 2

Reducing linguistical units to the possible minimum.

Question 3

From when did shortenings appear continuously?

Answer 3

15th century.

Question 4

How is the prototype and the short form keep their connection?

Answer 4

While using a shortened word, the rest of it is supplied by the listener, thus the connection between the prototype and the shortened form isn’t lost.

Question 5

Where does shortening usually happen? Why?

Answer 5

In the first or stressed part of the word, because it imprints on our minds, rather than the final parts.

Question 6

Are there many shortened adjectives? How are they formed?

Answer 6

There are very few. It has a combo of shortening and suffixation: comfy - comfortable.

Question 7

Recall the types of clippings according to the place.

Answer 7

Apocope - final clipping;
Aphesis/Aphaeresis - initial clipping;
Syncope - middle clipping;