CLIPPING WORDS

CLIPPING WORDS

Clipping is one of many types of word formation process. Clipping can be described as the process of shortening or reducing long words (Yule, 2006). This occurs when a word of more than one syllable (examination) is reduced to a shorter form (exam).

There are three types of clipping words such as back-clipping, fore-clipping, and fore-and-aft clipping.

1    The back-clipping occurs when it is the end of the word that is lopped off. Thus, the word gasoline is reduced in the end become gas.   

2The fore-clipping occurs when it is the beginning of the word is released. Thus, the word phone is taken from telephone.

3.   The fore-and-aft clipping occurs when it is the beginning and the end of the word is dropped. Thus, flu is taken from influenza.

These are the list of clipping words:

Back-clipping	Fore-clipping	Fore-and-aft clipping.
advertisement – ad automobile – auto bicycle – bike brother-bro cabriolet – cab celebrity-celeb cleric – clerk coeducational student – coed convict-con congratulations-congrats delicatessen – deli doctor- doc dormitory – dorm examination – exam fanatic – fan gasoline – gas gymnasium – gym laboratory – lab limousine – limo luncheon – lunch mathematics – math memorandum – memo moving picture – movie pantaloons – pants photograph – photo pianoforte – piano promenade – prom public house – pub referee – ref reputation – rep submarine – sub teenager-teen typographical error – typo zoological garden – zoo	alchemist – chemist alligator – gator chrysanthemum – mum hamburger – burger raccoon – coon telephone – phone university-varsity   airplane-plane autobus -bus  periwig-wig  violoncello-cello  caravan-van	influenza – flu refrigerator – fridge

HYPOCORISMS

In Australian and British English a particular type of reduction is favored. Produces forms technically known as hypocorisms. In this process, a longer word is reduced to a single syllable, then -y or -ieis added to the end. This is the process that results in movie (‘moving pictures’) and telly(‘television’). It has also produced Aussie (‘Australian’), barbie(‘barbecue’), bookie (‘bookmaker’), brekky(‘breakfast’) and hankie (‘handkerchief’).

CLIPPING NAMES

In our lives, clipping used to make a word easy to be said. Even it is used to call someone’s name simply. In English name, we have found many examples of shorted name. For example, Maddy or Maddie (Madelaine), Danny (Daniel), Charlie (Charles), Christie or Christy (Christine), Robbie (Robert), Alex (Alexander), Dan (Daniel), Will (William), Eliza (Elizabeth), Rob (Robert), Lottie (Charlotte), Betty (Elizabeth), Freddy or Freddie (Alfred).

CLIPPING COMPOUNDS

Clipping compound is taken from a compound which is clipped.  In this process, one part of the original combination often remains intact. In some other cases, both components are clipped. For example:

1.      newspaper boy à newsboy

2.      European television à Eurovision

3.      do on (verb) à don (to put on an item of clothing)

4.      do off (verb) à doff (to remove an item of clothing)

It is appropriate to use clipped words in formal English. Some clipped words have made their way into Standard English; some clipped words remain restricted to the slang of special groups: schools, army, police, the medical profession, the entertainment industry, gangs, etc. 

1.      captain (standard English) à cap (army slang)

2.      convict (standard English) à  con (police slang)

3.      Laboratory à  lab (school slang)

4.      Congratulations à  congrats (informal English)

5.      typographical error à  typo (informal English)

6.      Celebrity à celeb (informal English)

7.      Delicatessen à  deli (informal English)

8.      Brother à  bro (informal English)

Some clipped words have become standard and can therefore be used in more formal environments:

1.      wig  (instead of the word  periwig, which is not in use anymore)

2.      fan  (instead of the word fanatic )

3.      piano (instead of the word pianoforte )

4.      bus (instead of the word omnibus )

5.      flu (the short word for influenza ; the word flu has become acceptable even in formal medical texts)

6.      exam (the short word for examination ; the word exam can be used in formal writing)

7.      movie (the short word for moving picture ; the word movie can be used in formal writing)

8.      tie (the short word for necktie ; the word tie can be used in formal writing)

9.      plane  (both words plane and airplane are used in formal writing)

1  burger (the short word for hamburger or veggie burger ; the word burger is slowly making its way into formal writing)

1  bra (the short word for brassiere ; the word bra can be used in formal writing).

So, clipping is one of important parts of formal and informal English. To make our speaking and writing simple, we can use clipped words. Clipped word will be more famous when it is used in some appropriate situation of speaking or writing.