Crasis

Techniques > Use of language > Figures of speech > Crasis

Method | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Crasis is the contraction of a word or words, often into a form that has two vowels that combine to make a longer sound.

Example

Madam becomes Ma'am (pronounced 'marm') (and originally from the French 'Ma dame')

Discussion

Contraction of words is often culturally situated and the use thus indicates that the speaker is from a particular cultural context. The vowel combination is typical of many 'upper class' cultures, where speech is moved further back in the mouth and vowels are lengthened.

Classification: Distortion