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Apocope

Definition:

In linguistics, apocope refers to the omission or loss of one or more sounds or letters from the end of a word.

Examples:

Noun:

• The word "butcher" is an example of apocope as it was derived from the Old English word "boucher."
• Apocope often occurs in informal speech, such as using "gonna" instead of "going to."

Verb:

• Some languages apocopate certain words to make them rhyme better in verses or songs.
• Due to the influence of colloquialism, people tend to apocope words to simplify their speech.

Related Products:

Explore these books on Amazon related to linguistics and language evolution:

• A History of Language by Victoria Fromkin
• Language Development: Understanding Language Science by Robert E. Owens Jr.