Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 21 стр.

                      TASKS AND EXERCISES
       I.
       Basic (English) is derived from ‘British (and) American Scien-
tific International Commercial (English)’, V.I.P. is an abbreviation of
the word combination ‘very important person’.
       Do you know what the following abbreviations stand for?
       BBC, COD, FBI, JP, R.A.F.
      IIa.
      Speaking of cli ppings J.A. Sheard says that they are a popular
method of forming new words but by no means a new one. Read the
following passages and retell them adding examples you have discov-
ered in your home-reading.
      This process, which differs from those just discussed in that only
one word is shortened, is still an active one, and there are today
many words generally accepted in the standard language which are
shortened forms of the words they have displaced. Few people, apart
from a certain type, would use pianoforte rather than piano; curio,
with a restricted meaning, is more popular than curiosity; an unmar-
ried lady is miss, not mistress, and one asks for gin, never for
Geneva or Genievre; indeed, many names of drinks are abbrevia-
tions, an obvious convenience when long words have to be used
frequently: example are brandy (for brandy wine), grog (for grog-
man), hock (for hockamore, Hochheimer), port (for Oporto), rum
(for rumbullion), and whisky (for usquebaugh).
      It is not easy to be certain when the shortened form is fully
accepted in the standard language — possibly it is when only pedants
use the full form; e. g. exam., maths, matric., pub. are not yet stan-
dard, but hardly anyone talks of going to the Zoological Gardens,
though why zoo should have met with general approval, yet one
always says botanical gardens, and never bot., is not clear. Both
words are equally convenient, and it may be that zoo has a better
sound than bot, and is also in more frequent use., thereby populariz-
ing the abbreviation. Bus is now accepted — hardly anyone says omni-
bus, and the apostrophe which used to be common at the beginning
of the word has almost disappeared — and bike, photo, and pram are
becoming accepted, at any rate in conversation. Trike — a common
term before the tricycle gave way to the bicycle — is still frequently
used in families where there are young children, though it is today

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