elided

Elided is the past participle of elide, a verb meaning to omit or suppress in speech, writing, or other representation. In linguistics, elision refers to the omission of a sound, syllable, or word in connected speech. In editing and typography, elision can describe the omission of material for brevity, though this is more commonly described as ellipsis or intentional abridgement.

Etymology and scope: The word elide comes from Latin elidere, meaning to strike out or cast away, and it entered English through Old French. The concept is cross-linguistic and occurs in many languages, reflecting phonological or stylistic processes that reduce or simplify forms in ordinary discourse.

Examples and usage: In English, elided forms arise in both speech and writing. Common cases include contractions such as it is becoming it's, and I am becoming I'm, where a sound or syllable is omitted and an apostrophe marks the omission. In poetry and some informal registers, concise forms such as th’ for the, ev’n for even, or ne’er for never illustrate elision. Elision also accounts for reduced vowel or consonant clusters in rapid speech across languages.

Relation to other terms: Elision is related to, but distinct from, ellipsis. Elision concerns omission within spoken language or within a word, whereas ellipsis denotes omission of larger portions of text in writing, typically shown by punctuation or formatting. An elided form describes a word or segment that has undergone omission, while ellipsis concerns the broader omission of material in written discourse.