contraction

abbreviation technique

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June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

A contraction is a shortening of a word, syllable, or word group by omitting sounds or letters. For example, "they'll" is a contraction for "they will". Contractions are a type of clitic, specifically enclitics, which are associated with the word preceding them. This process reduces the size or volume of words, making language more concise.123

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paleography
Abbreviations
…into two classes, suspension and contraction. Suspension, omission of the end of a word and indication by a point or sign, was used in Roman public inscriptions—e.g., IMP.(ERATOR), CAES.(AR). Contraction, the omission of letters from the middle of a word and replacement by a sign or some other device, was…
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…into two classes, suspension and contraction. Suspension, omission of the end of a word and indication by a point or sign, was used in Roman public inscriptions—e.g., IMP.(ERATOR), CAES.(AR). Contraction, the omission of letters from the middle of a word and replacement by a sign or some other device, was…
Read More