abridge
UK[əˈbrɪdʒ]US[əˈbrɪdʒ]
v
to shorten (a book, play, etc.) by leaving out some parts
v
to lessen the duration or scope of; curtail
Morpheme Breakdown
a
bridge
a
to, towards
bridge
a structure carrying a pathway
Etymology
The word 'abridge' originates from the Old French 'abregier', which itself derives from the Late Latin 'abbreviare', meaning 'to shorten'. The Latin root is a combination of 'ad-' (to) and 'brevis' (short). The fascinating semantic shift occurred in Anglo-French, where the word was influenced by the unrelated Old French 'abregier' (to shorten) and its association with legal compendiums. The modern spelling with 'bridge' is a folk etymology, a reanalysis of the word's form based on the familiar English word 'bridge', though the original meaning of 'shortening' or 'bringing to a point' remains central. Thus, the literal sense evolved from "to make brief" to the modern abstract meanings of condensing written content or curtailing rights.
Analysis
Structure: a + bridge
a- (Latin ad-, meaning 'to, towards'); bridge (from Old English brycg, meaning 'a structure carrying a pathway')
Examples
The novel was abridged for a younger audience.
The government should not abridge the freedom of speech.
This is an abridged version of the original documentary.