Amy Guskin wrote:
>>> On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:58:30 -0400, thus spake Duggy (in article 
> ):
> 
>> I saw a doco once that had child of immigrants <<
> 
> Okay, I've got to ask: I have seen English and Australian people do this, and 
> I want to know if there is any reason for it.  By "this" I mean the 
> shortening of words using a final letter that _doesn't belong_.  You're 
> saying "doco" for "documentary"; I recently saw an
Australian person write 
> "ambo" for "ambulance" and "relo" for
"relative."  Who set the precedent for 
> this kind of nonsensical abbreviation?  When did it come into popular usage, 
> and do you have any idea whose fault it is?
> 
> If you must shorten words, why isn't is "docu,"
"ambu," and "rela"?
> 
> Amy

Modern English words do not end in "u"; so docu would have to be
pronounced as the two words Dock-you, which is not a verbal
abbreviation.

Andrew Swallow
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