Daily Word • Learn, play, and grow your vocabulary
Elision is when sounds or syllables are omitted from a word or phrase, making it easier to say. Think of it as a shortcut in speech. It happens often in fast or casual conversation. For example, 'going to' becomes 'gonna' – that's elision. It makes language flow more smoothly. Elision can also happen in writing but is more common in speech.
The word 'elision' originates from the Latin 'elidere,' meaning 'to strike out' or 'suppress'. 'E-' means 'out', and 'laedere' means 'to strike'. It passed into English through French. The core idea is to remove something. This emphasizes the idea of taking something away for the sake of ease.
In the movie 'The Social Network', rapid-fire dialogue uses elision constantly to make the characters sound quick-witted and fast-paced. When Mark Zuckerberg is coding and brainstorming, the elisions in the characters’ speech amplify the frenetic energy of the scene. Elisions make the dialogue feel natural and realistic, like actual conversations.
Pay attention to how you and others speak! Elision is all around you. Recognizing it will improve your listening comprehension and make your own speech more natural. 👂
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