apostrophe
UK: əˈpɒstrəfi | US: əˈpɑːstrəfi
n. a punctuation mark (’) used to indicate possession or the omission of letters/numbers
n. (rhetoric) a digression in speech addressing an absent or imaginary person/object
apostrophe = apo<away> + strophe<turning>
- apo (Greek: ἀπό, "away, off") → implies separation or divergence.
- strophe (Greek: στροφή, "a turning") → refers to a twist or rhetorical shift.
Etymology Origin:
The word originates from Greek apostrophē, combining apo ("away") and strophē ("turning"). It initially described a rhetorical device where a speaker "turns away" to address an absent entity. Later, it was adopted in grammar to denote the "omission" (turning away) of letters (e.g., "can’t") or possession (e.g., "Mary’s"). The punctuation mark visually represents this linguistic "turning aside."
Use an apostrophe to shorten "do not" into "don’t."
The poet’s apostrophe to the moon added emotional depth to the verse.
"O Death, where is thy sting?" is a famous apostrophe in literature.
The sign mistakenly omitted the apostrophe in "its" (writing "its" instead of "it’s").
Shakespeare’s "Julius Caesar" contains apostrophes addressing the conspirators.