 |
| Periwigs? |
Clipped words are defined as words that are formed by dropping one or more syllables from a longer word or phrase with no change in meaning.
When some man calls another guy his "bro," most people know he is clipping "brother." However, I have found that some younger folks don't know that deli comes from delicatessen and that flu is a clipped influenza.
Less obvious is that "varsity" comes from "university," "hack" comes from "hackney" or that "margarine" was once "oleomargarine."
You know "wig" but have you ever heard of periwig, an archaic term for a highly styled wig worn formerly as a fashionable headdress by both women and men.
Some clipped words and their original form have just fallen out of usage. I think few people talk about "stereo" sound any more, but no one uses "stereophonic."
A FEW OTHERS
alum alumni
mart market
auto automobile
math mathematics
bike bicycle
memo memorandum
bra brassiere
bro brother
mike or mic microphone
