phonetic reduction

[oranggunung]

Not being well-versed, I wondered if I could pick the minds of more erudite members.

I discovered/created/borrowed a device which, for the time-being, I shall call phonetic reduction.

It takes a large word, and then shortens it, while maintaining it's phonetic root. This process can carry on as long as the word allows, but I only did it twice.

Onomatopoeia
Honour
on

Is this a device anyone has seen before? Does it have a name?
As so many devices have been used before, it seems unlikely this is actually original.

og

[Minstrel]

It takes a large word, and then shortens it, while maintaining it's phonetic root. This process can carry on as long as the word allows, but I only did it twice.

Onomatopoeia
Honour
on

Bollocks!.

Is this a device anyone has seen before? Does it have a name?


Bullshit.

[oranggunung]

I'll take that as a 'No', then.

[k-j]

I don't know if it's been done before, but how would I? I'm struggling to see how you'd use it in writing, and to what effect. I mean, I've played that sort of word game in my head, but I wouldn't call it a device, because what does it achieve? Can you give us an example?

[David]

They didn't do it with a word, but with a sentence, but it was (and it is to my eternal shame that I remember this) the Goodies' Christmas single in 197?. "Father Christmas do not touch me" - but every time they sang it they dropped the last word - "Father Christmas do not touch" etc.

Louis Jordan did the same thing the other way round - "I, I want, I want you, I want you to, I want you to be (wha!), I want you to be my baby."

Don't quite see how you'd do it with a word, though.

[oranggunung]

The only example I know of is my poem, "Who really killed Cock Robin?"

viewtopic.php?t=4870

The abbreviation of the word is intended to echo the dying of the bird.

[Wabznasm]

I think the method works in that poem you've posted, but I think it's an instrument that's a little too subtle, and without a brilliant long word to work on has to be forced to have any validity.

Without you italising, repeating, quoting and didactically showing the way the word deconstructs I think it would not be noticable at all. And since the poem, in a way, is about that deconstruction in itself you manage to pull it off. I can only see it as something forced and deliberately alluded to -

Saying all of that though, I think I will play about with it. It's a little frivolous (unless stressed) but is a nice little something to mess with. Still, you'll have to find the ultimate set of three different words in order to make it shine.

Experimentation for the sake of experimentation, in my opinion, is pointless. There should always be a purpose or a 'theory' behind whatever it is you are doing.

Nice topic though - I'd really like to see more of these discussions on experimental techniques. I may, in a few days, start a series of threads on people's opinions on certain techniques - interesting stuff.

Dave

[twoleftfeet]

Experimentation for the sake of experimentation, in my opinion, is pointless. There should always be a purpose or a 'theory' behind whatever it is you are doing.

There's me thinking that I can have some fun playing around with words,
the theory being that it gives me pleasure.....
Language is alive, analysis is deadly boring.

[Wabznasm]

There's me thinking that I can have some fun playing around with words,
the theory being that it gives me pleasure.....

There's me making generalisations again. I think I jumped a bit with that last statement - experiments are fun.

[Bombadil]

Strange stuff. Never heard of it before. Must attempt when too bored to do anything else.

[Ramona]

I'd call that word chopping. A bit like wood chopping. Look! I changed a letter there.

[Wabznasm]

OG -

I stumbled on this the other day:

George Herbert - Paradise.

I Bless thee, Lord, because I GROW
Among thy trees, which in a ROW
To thee both fruit and order OW.

What open force, or hidden CHARM
Can blast my fruit, or bring me HARM,
While the inclosure is thine ARM.

Inclose me still for fear I START.
Be to me rather sharp and TART,
Then let me want thy hand and ART.

When thou dost greater judgments SPARE,
And with thy knife but prune and PARE,
Ev’n fruitfull trees more fruitful ARE.

Such sharpnes shows the sweetest FREND:
Such cuttings rather heal then REND:
And such beginnings touch their END.

It's not quite there, but the closest I've found.

[oranggunung]

Wab

Thanks for remembering this. I'd say this counts, even though it doesn't work in the same way I decribed. The poem appears to rely on the reduction of the words. Looks like originality is an uphill battle

og

[Wabznasm]

Then we must be buggered since this was written in the 1600s .

[oranggunung]

Perhaps I should invest in a chimpanzee and a typewriter?

[vesuvius]

I'd rather call it a gimmick than a device. I've heard it used to quite good comic effect in a song by American cock-rock band Lit

- You make me come
You make me complete
You make me completely miserable -

The Chimpanzee typewriter thing's been done too, Shakespeare did it



- An infinite amount of monkeys walk into a bar and say everything