Home > Apocopation
A apocopation is a type of metaplasm that refers to a shortened from of a longer word, where the end of the original word has been omitted. It is distinguished from aphaeresis and snycope , where a part of the original word is removed from the start or the middle respectively.
The word apocopation comes from Greek, apo, to cut; and koptein, away from.
1 Usage
Some languages have apocopations internalized as mandatory forms.
- In Spanish, many adjectives that come before the noun lose the final vowel when they precede a noun in the masculine singular form. The word uno (one) thus becomes un and grande (big) becomes gran. In these cases, one would say un mundo (one world) rather than *uno mundo, and gran taco (big taco), rather than *grande taco.
In many languages, apocopation is also used to form shorter synonyms of a word, which becomes a sort of spoken abbreviation the word.
- In French, réac is used as short for réactionnaire and démo means démonstration.
- Japanese shorten their name for McDonald's, Makudonarudo, into Makudo, and Kentaki Furaido Chikin, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, is referred to as Kenfuraido in daily speech.
Apocopation is also used regularly to from diminutives of names for example:
Tom/Thomas;
Steve/Stephan or Steven;
Josh/Joshua;
Matt/Matthew;
Don/Donald;
Alex/Alexander;
Andy/Andrew;
Meg/Meghan or Megan;
2 Some Apocopations in English
- abs for abdominal muscles
- ad or advert for advertisement
- addy for (email) addressAddress may refer to— #the location of an individual or organization. Different nations use different addressing schemes; see # Zipcode (for the United States), # Postcode (for the United Kingdom), # Japanese addressing system, and # Postal code (for othe (UK)
- admin for administrationBusiness use In business, administration is the performance or management of transactions and other matters of business, and the making and implementing of major decisions. And can be the title of the General Manager who reports to the corporate board of
- afish for aficionado
- ag for agricultureFarming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). Agriculture is also known as farming .
- amp from amplifierAn amplifier is a device which changes a small movement into a larger movement. The relationship of the input to the output--usually expressed as a function of the input frequency--is called the transfer function of the amplifier, and the magnitude of the
- app for applicationIn general, an application is using something general to some more conrete. For example: applied science. In business, an application is call for a job. In computing, an application is software application See also: application server.
- arco for arcologyAn arcology so far only existing conceptually (with experiments taking place at Arcosanti), is an extremely large building, sufficient to maintain an internal ecology as well as an extremely high human population density. Popular in science fiction, arcol
- auto for automobileAn automobile usually called a car (an old word for carriage) or a truck is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own engine. Older terms include horseless carriage and motor car with "motor" referring to what is now usually called the engine. The act of ope
- av for avatar
- bennies for benzedrine
- bi for bisexual
- bio for biology or biography
- Birks for Birkenstocks
- biz for business
- bod for body
- bookie for bookkeeper
- bra for brassiere
- bro for brother
- bronc for bronco
- bronto for brontosaur(us)
- bud for buddy
- bunk for bunkum
- butt for buttocks
- Cali for California
- cam for camera
- camo for camouflage
- carbs for carbohydrates
- chem for chemistry
- chemo for chemotherapy
- chimp for chimpanzee
- cig for cigarette
- civ for civilization
- clit for clitoris
- coke for cocaine
- Coke for Coca-Cola
- con for convict
- condo for condominium
- congrats for congratulations
- corp for corporation
- cred for credibility
- crip for cripple
- croc for crocodile
- curio for curiosity
- cyber for cybersex
- decaf for decaffeinated
- decal for decalcomania
- deco for decoration
- deli for delicatessen
- delish for delicious
- Dem for Democrat
- demo for demonstration or demolition
- derm for dermatologist
- detox for detoxification
- dicot for dicotyledon
- dif for difference
- dino for dinosaur
- dis (or diss) for disrespect
- disco for discotheque
- doc for doctor
- dorm for dormitory
- ed for education
- emo from emotional
- ep for episode
- ex for ex-(boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, whatever)
- exam for examination
- exec for executive
- expo for exposition
- fan from fanatic
- frank for frankfurter
- ganj for ganja
- gas for gasoline
- gig for gigabyte
- glutes for gluteus maximus
- go fig for go figure
- grad for graduate (or graduation, as in grad night)
- gym for gymnasium
- hash for hashish
- hetero for heterosexual
- hippo for hippopotamus
- homo for homosexual
- hype from hyper
- Inc for Incorporated
- inf for infinitely
- info for information
- infra dig for infra dignitatem (borrowed from Latin)
- inti for intifada
- intro for introduction
- ipecac for ipecacuanha
- Jap for Japanese
- karaoke from kara-ookesutora (borrowed from Japanese)
- kilo for kilogram
- klepto for kleptomaniac
- lab for laboratory
- legit from legitimate
- les for lesbian
- lib for liberation or Libertarian
- limo for limousine
- lino for linoleum
- lit for literature
- lo for low
- mac for macaroni or Macintosh
- macro for macroinstruction
- mag for magazine
- math (US) or maths (Br) for mathematics
- max for maximum
- mayo for mayonnaise
- med for medic
- meg for megabyte
- meth for methamphetamine
- Mexi for Mexican
- mezc for mescaline
- mike (or mic) for microphone or microgram
- Minn for Minnesota
- Miss for Mississippi
- mono for mononucleosis
- monocot for monocotyledon
- negs for negatives
- neocon for neoconservative
- nympho for nymphomaniac
- OB/GYN for obstretrician-cum- gynecologist
- op for optical or operation or opportunity
- orang for orangutan
- Paki for Pakistani
- pants from pantaloons
- pecs for pectorals
- Peke for Pekingese
- Penn for Pennsylvania
- perp for perpetrator
- perv for pervert
- photo for photograph
- piano for pianoforte (borrowed from Italian)
- pic for (digital) picture
- pol for politician
- polio for poliomyelitis
- poly for polytechnic
- pop for popular
- porn or porno for pornography
- prefs for preferences
- preg for pregnant
- prep for preparatory
- pres (or prez) for president
- pro for professional
- prof for professor
- prom from promenade
- promo for promotion
- prop for propaganda or proposition
- psych for psychology
- psycho for psychopath
- pyro for pyromaniac
- quad for quadrangle
- rad for radical
- Rasta for Rastafarian
- Reb for Rebel (i.e. Confederate)
- rec for recreation
- ref for referee
- rehab for rehabilitation
- rep for reputation or representative or Republican
- repo for repossession
- rhino for rhinoceros
- San Fran for San Francisco
- sarky for sarcastic
- sax for saxophone
- schizo for schizophrenic
- Scottie for Scottish Terrier
- Sea-Tac from Seattle- Tacoma
- sec for second
- Semper Fi! for Semper Fidelis
- sibs for siblings
- sig for (Internet) signature
- sim for simulation
- sis for sister
- soph for sophomore
- specs for spectacles
- sperm for spermatozoön
- staph for staphylococcus
- stat from statim (borrowed from Latin)
- stats for statistics
- steno for stenographer
- strep for streptococcus
- sub for submarine or substitute
- sum for summarize
- sus (or suss) for suspect
- sync (or synch) for synchronization
- synth for synthesizer
- syph for syphilis
- tarp for tarpaulin
- taxi (or taxicab) for taximeter cabriolet
- tech for technology
- teddy for teddy bear
- teen for teenager
- tele for television
- tranq for tranquilizer
- trans for transformer
- trig for trigonometry
- tux for tuxedo
- typo for typographical error
- undies for underwear
- uni for university
- veg for vegetables
- veggie for vegetarian
- vet for veterinarian or veteran
- Wisc for Wisconsin
- wit' for with
- xolo for xoloitzcuintli
- Yank for Yankee
- zep for zeppelin
- zoo for zoological garden
When apocopation is done with Cockney rhyming slang, it is called hemiteleia:
- bread from bread-and-honey
- raspberry from raspberry tart
- titfer from tit-for-tat
