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Glite Dictionary
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contractibility

contractibility

8.1
A phrase you can shorten by joining words, like will not to won't
  • noun
  • /kənˌtræktəˈbɪləti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contractibilidad
  • The contractibility of 'will not' to 'won't' is a common feature in English.

Examples

  • Teachers often explain the contractibility of auxiliary verbs to help students sound more natural.

  • Some phrases lack contractibility and cannot be shortened in spoken English.

  • The contractibility of the phrase makes it easier to use in conversation.

  • Many languages exhibit high contractibility in their spoken forms.

  • The contractibility of phrases like 'I am' to 'I'm' makes speech more fluid.

  • Understanding the contractibility of common verbs helps learners improve their English.

  • Some expressions, such as 'they are', demonstrate clear contractibility when shortened to 'they're'.

Surface Forms

contractibility singular
contractibilities plural

Morphology

contractibility = contractible (transparent) = contract + ible + ity

The sense is a straightforward nominalization of 'contractible' meaning 'able to be contracted' in the linguistic sense.

Etymology

Contractibility comes from the parts con- 'together' and tract 'pull', like the root in tractor. A phrase with contractibility can have its parts 'pulled together' into a shorter form (for example, 'will not' to 'won't').