contraction (n.)

A term used in LINGUISTICS to refer to the process or result of PHONOLOGICALLY reducing a linguistic FORM so that it comes to be attached to an adjacent linguistic form, or FUSING a sequence of forms so that they appear as a single form. The first kind of contracted form (or contraction) can be illustrated by I’ve from I have, haven’t from have not, and WANNA-contraction. The second kind is seen in French du, des from *de le and *de les respectively.