deletioncontraction

Deletioncontraction is a linguistic phenomenon observed in some languages where a morpheme is deleted and the remaining parts of the word contract. This process often occurs in rapid speech or informal contexts and can lead to the formation of new, shorter words or variations of existing ones. It is distinct from simple deletion where a sound or syllable is removed without any subsequent change in the word's structure.

The phenomenon typically involves the loss of a vowel or consonant, followed by the merging of adjacent sounds or morphemes. For example, in some dialects, the word "going to" might undergo deletioncontraction to become "gonna," where the "ing" is deleted and the remaining parts contract. Similarly, "want to" can become "wanna." This type of contraction is common in informal spoken English and is often seen in casual writing.

Deletioncontraction can also occur with grammatical morphemes. For instance, in certain inflected languages, a grammatical ending might be deleted, and the stem of the word then contracts or modifies to reflect the grammatical function. The specific environments and phonetic conditions under which deletioncontraction occurs can vary significantly between languages and even dialects within a language. Understanding this process is important for phonological analysis and for comprehending the evolution of language.