Which term describes the shortening of a word to form a new word, such as "bus" from "omnibus"?

• A. Clipping
• B. Neosemic shift
• C. Euphemism
• D. Amelioration

Answer: (A)

Clipping is shortening a word to form a new, shorter word. “Bus” from “omnibus” is a classic example: the front part of the word is dropped to create a more concise form. This is fore-clipping, where the beginning of the word is cut off. Clipping is a common word-formation process in English, producing familiar shortenings like gym from gymnasium or lab from laboratory. The other terms refer to meaning changes rather than form changes: euphemism is using a milder term, amelioration is a shift toward a more positive meaning, and neosemic shift involves a new semantic sense rather than shortened form.