apostrophization
|a-pos-tro-phi-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/əˌpɑstrəfəˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/əˌpɒstrəfəˈzeɪʃən/
(apostrophize)
mark with an apostrophe / address in apostrophe
Etymology
'apostrophization' originates from Modern English, formed from the verb 'apostrophize' plus the nominalizing suffix '-ation' (from Latin '-ationem'), ultimately based on 'apostrophe' which comes from Greek 'apostrophē' meaning 'a turning away' or 'turning aside'.
'apostrophe' came into English via Latin and Old French from Greek ἀποστροφή (apostrophē). The verb 'apostrophize' is a later English formation (attach -ize) meaning 'to address by apostrophe' or 'to mark with an apostrophe', and 'apostrophization' developed as the noun form by adding '-ation'.
Originally the Greek root meant 'a turning away/turning aside'; over time the term 'apostrophe' came to denote both a rhetorical address to an absent/abstract addressee and the punctuation mark for omitted letters; 'apostrophization' now denotes the acts of using either of these senses (punctuation use or rhetorical address).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act, process, or practice of using apostrophes (the punctuation mark ') in writing — for example to indicate possession or omissions (contractions).
The apostrophization of the manuscript corrected many possessive errors but introduced others where contractions were expanded.
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Noun 2
(Rhetoric) The act of addressing an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object directly (the rhetorical figure called 'apostrophe').
The poet's apostrophization of silence gave the stanza an urgent, intimate tone.
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Last updated: 2025/12/16 23:27