In a recent email campaign, a financial services company sought to arouse curiosity by touting the benefits of “fintech.” The message explained that “fintech” refers to financial technology that is “revolutionizing the financial industry,” adding, “if you’ve ever transferred money online between accounts or to a family member, applied for a mortgage online or through an app, or perhaps currently use a robo-advisor to invest money in ETFs, you’ve used fintech.” (“ETF” is shorthand for “exchange traded funds.” The term “robo-advisor” is an anthropomorphic term for an algorithm.)

Although the neologism “fintech” looks odd to people unfamiliar with it, it follows a word formation pattern through which many coined words were introduced into our language. It combines two “clipped” forms — “fin” pinched from the word “financial” and “tech” from the word “technology” — and fuses them into one new term.

The practice of pruning multisyllabic words to a single “clipped” syllable has influenced English language word formation for generations. The contraction of the phrase “God be with you” into the word “goodbye” dates to the 16th century.

A college student fills his car with gas (a diminutive form of the word “gasoline”) and drives to school so he can complete his lab (laboratory) project and take a midterm exam (examination). Afterward as he checks the web (worldwide web) and takes a selfie photo (self-portrait photograph) on his mobile phone (telephone), he’s distracted by a pop-up ad (advertisement) for a local deli (delicatessen).

People who need to hail a taxi or a cab may not realize that both of those words are clipped. “Taxi” is an abbreviation of the early 20th-century word “taximeter” (the device used to measure passenger tolls based on distance driven), and “cab” is a clipped form of the 19th-century word “cabriolet” (a type of horse-drawn carriage). Another form of transportation, the bicycle, became a bike, and the microphone became a mike. The oil turpentine was compressed to “turps.”

After your shirt is washed, you might want to press it with an iron (flatiron), then select a complementary tie (necktie).

Fans of 1930s movies will know that even by that time, the term “convict” had been shortened to “con.” And “movie” is a truncation of “moving picture.” The term “varsity,” used in reference to a collegiate top-level competitive sporting team, is a truncation of the word “university.”

Many such “clipped” terms may become so ingrained in our language that people may disregard or forget the full, formal words from which they are derived. In most cases, the concluding syllable of the original word is clipped off and only the first syllable is retained. In other cases a word may be reduced to its final syllable or even a middle syllable, as these common diminutives illustrate.

FIRST SYLLABLE RETAINED:

• app (application)
• lunch (luncheon)
• memo (memorandum)
• condo (condominium)
• info (information)
• ref (referee)
• pop (popular, as in pop music)
• street cred (credibility)
• dorm (dormitory)
• grad (graduate)
• fed (federal)
• zoo (zoological garden)
• pants (pantaloons)
• exec (business executive)
• alum (alumnus, alumna)

MIDDLE SYLLABLE RETAINED:

• flu (influenza)
• still (distillation apparatus)
• fridge (refrigerator)

FINAL SYLLABLE RETAINED:

• plane (airplane)
• groom (bridegroom)
• berg (iceberg)
• tie (necktie)
• chute (parachute)

Many informal terms consisting of conjoined clipped words, such as “fintech,” have become embedded in our language. They include:

• sci-fi (science fiction)
• smog (smoke fog)
• fro-yo (frozen yogurt)
• biopic (biographical picture)
• sitcom (situation comedy)

In most cases, complete words and their clipped versions share the same part of speech; if the formal word is a noun, so is its diminutive form. The noun “decaf,” a diminutive of the adjective “decaffeinated,” breaks that mold.

Use of clipped words can save time but they can pose the risk of creating confusion. Someone who is identified as a “vet” could be either a veterinarian or a military veteran (or both). The diminutive “demo” could refer either to demolition of a building or to demonstration of a technique or product at a trade show. “Spec” could mean either specification or speculative (as in “he is building the house on spec”). A “roach” could be either an insect (cockroach) or slang for a marijuana cigarette butt. “Caps” can refer to capital letters or headgear. “Hood” can be a clipped term for “neighborhood” or “hoodlum.”

Clipped words should be formed and used with caution to make certain they’re unambiguous and readily understood. We hope you’ve found this info useful, and it’s time for us to bike home now.

Numerous book review bloggers and readers have praised first-time author Michael Kinyanjui's book Highest of Highs to Lowest of Lows: My Battles With Bipolar Disorder. The nonfiction book, recently published by EditPros, is Michael’s brutally honest personal account of his emotional and physical struggles with bipolar disorder throughout much of his adolescence and early adulthood. He describes the tortuous path that finally led to successful management of his condition.

Book reviewer and author Christoph Fischer of Wales described the book as “a really impressive memoir” that “shows a writer insightful enough into the psyche of non-affected people to explain his feelings in a manner that grants us eye-opening and ‘aha’ moments.” In his review, Fischer wrote, “I have friends who suffer with the condition who didn’t have the gift to explain things as well as the author. Not following an entirely linear approach, we get thrown in at the deep end and unwrap childhood and other ages later. Taking an extreme moment in the author’s young life, being arrested and imprisoned, as the starting point gives us an immediate sense of the volatility of the condition and brings in more than a mere sympathy perspective.”

Fischer adds, “The book throws up interesting questions, but is told in an often quirky and upbeat way that make it such a refreshing reading experience. Highly recommended.”

Numerous readers posted comments about the review and the book, including:

• “I downloaded straight away. Terms get bandied around, with most of us understanding very little, but everyone jumping on the bandwagon to claim they are ‘talking about mental health.’ Someone on the inside can best be trusted to explain, and we writers must always be interested in other people’s experiences.” — Janet G.
  
  
• “I love Michael’s bravery in addressing this subject, and know his pursuit in writing this book surely had to be aimed at demystification of a condition often misunderstood.” — Claire F.
  
  
• “I applaud the author for his bravery in discussing his life. We need to bring disorders of the mind to the forefront. We can no longer keep our eyes closed. Thank you for your courage, Michael.” — Patricia Z.

Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, the demons that had taken up residence inside Michael’s head hijacked his behavior. He had been a well-adjusted and only mildly mischievous child, but as a young man he unexpectedly yelled profanities at his boss, racked up a $30,000 debt in a reckless spending spree, and late one night intentionally wrecked his pickup truck in a high-speed crash, leading to his arrest. His erratic actions baffled him as much as he perplexed his family members and friends. Unpredictable mood shifts drove him on wild rides that carved serpentine paths from despair to charismatic joy, from desolation to creativity and academic achievement, as he teetered much of the way on the brink of self-destruction.

“Before my diagnosis, I just assumed that I was a lunatic who was going to die in a ditch someplace. Without treatment, there was no winning with this illness,” Michael wrote in the book. “Even though my manic episodes were great, they usually got me in trouble or got me involved in sketchy behavior. Once the manic episode was done with me, the depression kicked in and that wasn’t any better.”

All readers who posted reviews on Amazon have given five out of five stars to Highest of Highs to Lowest of Lows. They include these comments:

• “It’s an easy read but with a lot of substance. It kept me hooked. It’s inspirational.” — Ana S.
  
  
• “Michael shares what he learns about the disorder, himself and advice to those that might need to seek help, plus resources that will help anyone that thinks he/she has bipolar disorder. A must read and an important book to help those with any mental illness understand how to cope with it before it’s too late.” — Sam F.
  
  
• “What an incredible story, and what a brave man is Michael Kinyanjui to write it with the hope of helping others. What amazing tales of Michael's childhood and onwards. What a struggle trying to lead a 'normal' life, all the while not knowing when the mania will strike again, and then wondering how to deal with it. This book is an inspiration, not only to other sufferers but also to their friends and families. Hopefully even outsiders can benefit by gaining some understanding of the condition. Thank you, Michael, for the courage to write this. It was a privilege and a pleasure to read.” — Ann S.

The erratic behavior that people with bipolar disorder experience can jeopardize their performance at school and work, can strain or destroy personal relationships, and, if untreated, can lead to suicide. While bipolar disorder usually is not curable, it is manageable.

“This book is about my journey through the ups and downs of childhood, while dealing with two demons that had complete control over me,” Michael said. “What's important to me is sharing my life story as a way of helping others who are suffering. I hope my story will help people understand more about bipolar disorder, how difficult it is to diagnose, and that it can be managed through the right medication and ongoing professional counseling.”

Highest of Highs to Lowest of Lows: My Battles With Bipolar Disorder, published by EditPros LLC, is available in print, and as an e-book for Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, Barnes & Noble Nook and Kobo readers. Please visit http://www.editpros.com/highest_highs.html for more details and ordering information.

Josie S. wrote:

The grammar coach replies:

* * * * *

Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help — at no charge, just for the sport of it.

Do you know of a friend or colleague whose office can benefit from EditPros’ services? If you do, you may be able to earn a “referral reward” of up to $500 from EditPros.   

We invite you to submit your questions to the "grammar coach," and we welcome you to subscribe to this monthly newsletter — which we'll send to your e-mail address at no charge. We respond to all "grammar coach" questions personally, but delays may occur because we must place top priority on assignments from our clients. We appreciate your patience and your interest.

You also can change your e-mail subscription address. For an address change, please indicate your existing AND your new e-mail address. Thank you.

OUR PRIVACY POLICY for e-mail newsletter subscribers:

We do not use any commercial e-mail lists or automated mass-mailing programs, and we do not allow access to the list by anyone else for any reason. Our subscriber list is maintained by hand, and it is not for sale. We are protective of confidentiality because many of our readers are also clients of ours.