Category talk:English contractions
"'Tis" is listed under "t", but "'d" is listed under "'". Any idea how to make it go under "d"? — Paul G 08:34, 7 Oct 2004 (UTC)
Someone "helpfully" added this list to a parent category that is not applicable. The list of abbreviations is intended to show things that are in essence, abbreviations (including some other types of shortenings.)
Contractions do not belong in that category. If you wish to create something like category:Shortenings then each of these categories could certainly fit in there. Do not overload the original meaning of a category. And do not subversively change that category description to now include your new subcategory when you would be destroying the purpose of the orignal category. Do not destroy the original category by adding inappropriate subcategories.
--Connel MacKenzie 21:42, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Connel's reversion edit
<Jun-Dai 21:54, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)> Please let's not beat around the bush. It was I who made that change. If you are going to undo it, please be so kind as to explain why you've undone it. You've generically (and unhelpfully) mentioned the category of the error, but you haven't explained why you don't consider contractions to be a form of abbreviation, which is specifically the issue at hand. It seems to me that a contraction is very much a form of abbreviation, since it is the shortening of a term or set of terms for the sake of concision. How is that not an abbreviation? </Jun-Dai>
Abbreviations, Contractions, Acronyms vs. regional dialect edit
Abbreviations are written shortenings of words such as Mon. meaning Monday. These are not normally used in speech. Contractions are shortening of 2 words into one. These are used in speech and not normally used in formal writing. Acronyms are shortenings of multiple words into a group of single letters or short syllables that are used in both speech and writing. Examples are DOD for Department of Defense and FEMA for Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some of the contractions shown are in fact not contractions, but regional dialect. WHATCHA DOIN? is not two contractions representing WHAT ARE YOU DOING? At best these are regional dialect or as my high school english teacher would've said, lazy speech. In ending it would be more definitive to provide separation of the four items