Session 8: Part-word lower-sign Contractions

in		en
com		con
dis		be

As you might suspect, these contractions follow all of the general rules for contractions. The specific rules for this group of contractions is reviewed below:

1. Part-Word Lower-Sign Contractions
   1. The contractions in and en
      1. Are subject to the general rules for the use of contractions and to the rules for lower-sign contractions.
      2. Are used wherever they occur within a word.
         

         (In)g(er)sol	(en)act
         f(in)al	b(en)efit
         ma(in)	(of)t(en)

         
         
      3. In anglicized phrases The in contraction is used for the anglicized word in.
         

         (in)aet(er)num

         (in) esse

         
         The en contraction may not be used for the anglicized word en.
         

         en r(ou)te

         en masse

         
         
   2. The contractions be, con, and dis
      1. Are subject to the general rules for the use of contractions and to the rules for lower-sign contractions.
      2. May be used only when they constitute an entire syllable and occur at the beginning of a word or at the beginning of a line in a divided word unless they are the last syllable of such a divided word.
         

         be(en)	con(ch)	disc
         (be)lieve	(con)duct	(dis)t(in)ct
         unbelievea(ble)	misconduct	(in)dist(in)ct
         un- (be)lieva(ble)	mis- (con)duct	in- (dis)t(in)ct

         
         
      3. With the hyphen
         1. May be used after the hyphen in hyphenated compound words.
            

            make-(be)lieve

            dual-(con)trol

            self-(dis)cipl(in)e

            
            
         2. May not be used in contact with the hyphen in syllabized words.
            

            un-be-liev-a-(ble)

            Con-nect-i-cut

            dis-con-c(er)t

            
            
      4. May follow the apostrophe, but may never precede it.
         

         O'(Con)nell

         dis'(ar)mony

         
         
      5. The contraction con may not be used for the word con.
         

         pro (and) con

         con game

         
         
   3. The contraction com
      1. Is subject to the general rules for the use of contractions and to the rules for lower-sign contractions.
      2. May be used only at the beginning of a word or at the beginning of a line in a divided word. It need not constitute a syllable.
         

         (com)e	(com)(ing)	be- (com)(ing)
         welcome	welcom(ing)	(com)b
         (com)a	wel- (com)e	(com)(ed)ian

         
         
      3. May never be in contact with a hyphen, dash, or apostrophe.
         

         ex-comm(and)(er)	com'(er)e
         ex- (com)m(and)(er)	We'll (st)ay (here)--come (wh)at may!

         
         
   4. If the contractions be, con, dis, or com can be used in a word, they can be used in the abbreviation of that word unless the contraction would constitute the entire abbreviation.
      

      Belgian	Belg.
      B(en)jam(in)	B(en)j.
      (Con)necticut	(Con)n.
      (Com)m(and)(ing)	(Com)dg.
      (Con)c(er)to	Con.

      
      

   ---

   These rules are fairly self-explanatory. When working with this group of contractions, it is important to remember that these contractions look identical to a variety of punctuation marks. As such, these contractions must be used adjacent to a cell containing the upper-cell dots 1 and/or 4. Keep in mind that the braille reader uses dots 1 and 4 as a "guide" to orienting the braille cells on his or her fingertips. If it were legal to have a series of lower signs in a series, it would be very simple for the braille reader to lose his or her spatial orientation, and be reading the lower sign cells as if they were upper sign cells.