Elision

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Elision is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce. Often, the sounds elided are unstressed vowels or consonants. Elision is a common phenomenon in many languages and can occur in both spoken and written forms.

Types of Elision[edit | edit source]

Elision can be categorized into several types based on the sounds that are omitted:

  • Vowel Elision: The omission of a vowel sound, often occurring in rapid speech. For example, in English, the word "camera" is often pronounced as "camra."
  • Consonant Elision: The omission of a consonant sound. For example, the word "handsome" is often pronounced as "han'some."
  • Syllable Elision: The omission of an entire syllable. For example, "library" is often pronounced as "libry."

Elision in Different Languages[edit | edit source]

Elision occurs in many languages, each with its own rules and patterns.

English[edit | edit source]

In English, elision is common in casual speech. Examples include:

  • "I'm" instead of "I am"
  • "don't" instead of "do not"
  • "gonna" instead of "going to"

French[edit | edit source]

In French, elision is a grammatical rule where certain vowels are dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. For example:

  • "l'homme" instead of "le homme"
  • "j'aime" instead of "je aime"

Spanish[edit | edit source]

In Spanish, elision often occurs in rapid speech. For example:

  • "pa'lante" instead of "para adelante"
  • "d'onde" instead of "de donde"

Phonological Processes Related to Elision[edit | edit source]

Elision is closely related to other phonological processes such as:

Importance of Elision[edit | edit source]

Elision plays a significant role in the natural flow of speech. It helps in:

  • Reducing the effort required to pronounce words
  • Making speech more fluid and less stilted
  • Facilitating faster communication

See Also[edit | edit source]

Related Pages[edit | edit source]

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD