Inferring the Meaning of Clipped Words Using Context Clues
Most of us like to make things simple. In speech and in writing, we often shorten words to make them easier to say, write, remember, and understand. Instead of saying “I want to wear pantaloons today,” one would always say, “I want to wear pants today.” Likewise, you often hear people say “math” instead of “mathematics.”
Words like math, burger, mart, and pants are what we call clipped words.
Clipped words are words that have been shortened or “clipped” so that they
become much shorter than the original words. Clipped words retain the meaning
of the longer word. The process in which a word is reduced or shortened without
changing the meaning of the word is called clipping.
To give you better idea about clipped words, you need to be familiar with its
different types.
Types of Clipping
Read and understand the meaning of each type.
1. Backclipping– Only the first part of the word is left intact.
Examples:
bra (brassiere) app (application)
2. Foreclipping– Only the last part of the word remains. Examples:
phone (telephone) gator (alligator)
3. Middle Clipping–Only the middle part of the word stands. Example:
* flu (influenza)
