| abbreviature |
| Definition -
An abbreviated or contracted form of a word or phrase. (obsolete).
Notes: 1. This word predates the synonym abbreviation, which eventually superseded it. |
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Example - The word can't is an abbreviature of the phrase can not. |
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Etymology - The term ultimately derives from the Latin brevis, short. |
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Oxford English Dictionary - Its first citation is from circa 1630: "From mistake of letters or abbreviatures by the transcribers." Note: The first citation for abbreviation in this sense is from 1727. (Jackson Creed viii. 27 Wks. VIII. 116) |