Apocope: meaning and examples

In order to facilitate communication and make it more fluid on some occasions words tend to be shortened. This is due to a grammatical phenomenon called apocope. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to define what is the apocope with examples so that you can better understand their types, their functions in language, and how they are used in a sentence. Read on to continue learning more about this interesting element of our language.

This phenomenon is more widespread than you can imagine, since it is used very frequently in both oral and written language. This consists of the suppression of some sounds or syllables at the end of some words that are too long. Its origin is Latin and in this language it literally means to cut.

Therefore, we could say that an apocope is nothing more than a one word cut. From this, its final part has been eliminated, which can be composed of one or more syllables or one of several letters, depending on the case.

What words can be shortened?

Surely you have wondered if this word cut can be used in any of these classes, because yes, an apocope can appear both in nouns, as in verbs, in

adverbs or determinants. For example:

The word so much, it may lose its last syllable due to the apocope and remain as so without losing meaning.

Characteristics

Some of the characteristics of apocopes are that they alter the way a word is written, in addition to its pronunciation. Regardless of how it is written or pronounced, its meaning will be the same. That is, it means the same: so what so much. They can be used in different areas and not in sentences with subjects of both genders: we can say saint to replace the word holy, but not for the word holy.

Finally, the apocopes, by shortening syllables or letters at the end of words, help the speed pronunciation is improved.

Now that you know what they are and the types that exist, it is time to show some examples of these so that you can understand them better.

• Some instead of someone.
• Good instead of good.
• One hundred instead of cent.
• How instead of how much.
• Great instead of big.
• Wrong instead of bad.
• No instead of none.
• First instead of first.
• Saint instead of holy.
• Third instead of third.
• A instead of one.

Examples of the apocope in a sentence

Let's see below how these apocopes are used in a sentence, you will see that even though the word slows down, it does not lose its original meaning, it only makes the pronunciation more agile and communication faster:

• Could you let me borrow some book that you have in your house?
• We're passing by a good time together.
• This time, Pablo is giving one hundred percent one hundred in order to achieve his dream job.
• How Those days when we used to play ball in the street are long gone.
• This is the great friend of my father that I have told you so much about.
• I have so wrong day, so you better not be flippant with your questions.
• Miguel told his son that he would not buy her no car no matter how much he begged.
• I liked your first disc that this, in spite of what the rest of the people think.
• This weekend we will go to enjoy the pinchos in Saint Sebastian.
• He is he third the day he called you, you could pick up the phone.
• Angela has a very nice and obedient dog.

If you want to continue learning with lessons as interesting as the apocope: meaning or examples, you can find more similar lessons in our section of Linguistics and Grammar.