English spellings/Catalogs/Apostrophe: Difference between revisions

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The '''[[apostrophe]]''' is shaped (in fonts where there are different shapes) like a 9, not a 6, as shown, for example, in initial position in the examples listed below. (This contrasts with the use of [[inverted commas]], where the opening one is shaped like a 6—or there can be two: 66—and the closing one like a 9—or 99: "sixty-sixes and ninety-nines".)


==Initial==
==Initial==
All '''[[apostrophe]]s''' are shaped (in fonts where there are different shapes) like a 9, not a 6, including initial ones (see below): this contrasts with the use of [[inverted commas]], where the opening one is shaped like a 6 (or there can be two: 66) and the closing one like a 9 (or 99): "sixty-sixes and ninety-nines".
Some words that begin with an apostrophe, where it signifies a letter or letters unpronounced in quoted speech, are:


Words that begin with an apostrophe are:
''''ālf''' ''half'' *āf, cf. '''Álf''' ''Alfred
 
''''át''' ''hat'' = '''át''' ''preposition


'''’em'''  ''them'' = '''um'''  ''hmmm'' *əm
'''’em'''  ''them'' = '''um'''  ''hmmm'' *əm


'''’tís''' and '''’tẁas''' - poetic use of initial apostrophe, replacing omitted initial '''í''' of '''ít ís''' and '''ít ẁas'''
''''ër''' ''her'' = '''ërr''' ''error
 
''''êre''' ''here'' = '''êar''' ''hearing'', cf. '''ére''' ''before
 
''''ërs''' ''her'' = '''ërrs''' ''error'' *ërz
 
''''ím''' ''him
 
''''ís''' ''him'' = '''ís''' ''are'' *íz
 
''''ŏrse''' ''horse
 
''''òuse''' ''house
 
'''’tís''' and '''’tẁas''': poetic and/or archaic use of initial apostrophe, replacing omitted initial '''í''' of '''ít ís''' and '''ít ẁas'''


==Final and medial==
==Final and medial==
Final apostrophes follow an '''s''' to form the genitive plural of nouns ('''Mánx cáts' tâils'''); otherwise, like medial apostrophes, they signify a missing (because unpronounced in quoted speech) letter or letters, as in '''gôin'''' for '''gôing'''. Where it replaces a '''t''' or '''d''', this final apostrophe may be pronounced as a [[glottal stop]]; otherwise final apostrophes are silent. Hence there is no point in listing examples; for more see the [[apostrophe|main article]].
Final apostrophes follow an '''s''' to form the genitive plural of nouns ('''Mánx cáts' tâils'''); otherwise, like initial and medial apostrophes, they signify a missing (because unpronounced in quoted speech) letter or letters, as in '''gôin'''' for '''gôing''' ('''n''' sound replacing '''ng''' sound). Where it replaces a '''t''' or '''d''', this final apostrophe may be pronounced as a [[glottal stop]] ("glo'al stop"); otherwise final apostrophes are silent.
 
Some words with final apostrophes, in [[English spellings#Word lists|retroalphabetical]] order, are:
 
'''ẁha''''
 
'''síngin'
 
'''còmin'
 
<nowiki>*</nowiki>dûín' '''doin'
 
'''gôin'
 
'''hávin'
 
cf. '''pêople's''': '''përsons'
 
'''cáts'
----

Latest revision as of 14:40, 19 June 2016

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

  • The accents show stress and pronunciation (see English spellings): A: sát, mâde, pàrk, cāst (cást/càst), åll, ãir; E: ére, êar, vèin, fërn; I: sít, mîne, skì, bïrd; O: sóng, môde, lòve, wörd, ŏr; OO: moôn, foòt; U: sún, mûse, fùll, pürr; W: neŵ, ẁant; Y: gým, mŷ, keỳ, mÿrrh.

The apostrophe is shaped (in fonts where there are different shapes) like a 9, not a 6, as shown, for example, in initial position in the examples listed below. (This contrasts with the use of inverted commas, where the opening one is shaped like a 6—or there can be two: 66—and the closing one like a 9—or 99: "sixty-sixes and ninety-nines".)

Initial

Some words that begin with an apostrophe, where it signifies a letter or letters unpronounced in quoted speech, are:

'ālf half *āf, cf. Álf Alfred

'át hat = át preposition

’em them = um hmmm *əm

'ër her = ërr error

'êre here = êar hearing, cf. ére before

'ërs her = ërrs error *ërz

'ím him

'ís him = ís are *íz

'ŏrse horse

'òuse house

’tís and ’tẁas: poetic and/or archaic use of initial apostrophe, replacing omitted initial í of ít ís and ít ẁas

Final and medial

Final apostrophes follow an s to form the genitive plural of nouns (Mánx cáts' tâils); otherwise, like initial and medial apostrophes, they signify a missing (because unpronounced in quoted speech) letter or letters, as in gôin' for gôing (n sound replacing ng sound). Where it replaces a t or d, this final apostrophe may be pronounced as a glottal stop ("glo'al stop"); otherwise final apostrophes are silent.

Some words with final apostrophes, in retroalphabetical order, are:

ẁha'

síngin'

còmin'

*dûín' doin'

gôin'

hávin'

cf. pêople's: përsons'

cáts'