brevi-, brev- [brie-, bri-] +
(Latin: short; shorten, make shorter, shortened)
2. To shorten a piece of text by cutting out sections or paraphrasing it; that is, abridged, shortened, or cut short: "The -brev- in abbreviate, abbreviates, etc. came from Latin brevis, meaning "short", which is also the source of the word brief; therefore, abbreviate means "to make briefer, to make shorter" by combining or omitting elements of the contents of a verbal or a written message."
2. The reduction of a word or a name to a shorter form: "The abbreviated form for the United States is U.S., for Doctor, it's Dr., and an abbreviated example of business is the informal term of biz."
2. A shortened form of a spoken word, or written symbol; a part of a word or symbol standing for the whole: "A very familiar abbreviation is etc.; the abbreviation for et cetera; meaning, 'and the rest', 'and others', 'and so forth' which is used at the end of a list to indicate that 'other items of the same class or type should be considered or included'."
"Bryan will abridge his original speech from five pages to just one page."
2. To make shorter in words, while retaining the sense and substance of the written text; to condense, to epitomize: "The book was abridged to a more readable length."3. To produce by shortening from a larger work to a condensed form: "The mayor agreed to abridge his comments to accommodate the featured speaker's schedule."
4. To curtail, to lessen, to diminish rights, privileges, advantages, or authority: "No one should be able to abridge your legal rights."
"Taking a shortcut in the city abridges the time we need to get to the city in time for the concert."
"The doctor is abridging his discussion about the operation because the audience appears to be tired or bored."
5. Etymology: from Middle English abregen and Old French abregier, abreger, "to shorten"; from Latin abbreviare, "abbreviate"; from Latin ab-, "from, away from" or ad-, "to, toward, addition to" + breviare, "to shorten"; and from brevis, "short".Abridge and abbreviate both carry the idea of shortening so that what remains adequately represents the whole.
To abridge suggests the cutting away of nonessentials while retaining the core. To abbreviate, generally used in reference to words or phrases, implies shortening by the compression or omission of parts, the remainder standing for the whole: to abridge a novel for its inclusion in a magazine; the abbreviated name of an advertising agency.
There are some disagreements among lexicographers regarding which prefix should be used; so, some dictionaries don't bother to indicate a prefix.
One source, The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology, presents the following: abridge, about 1303, abregen, "curtail, lessen", borrowed from Old French abregier or abreger, from Late Latin abbreviare, "to make brief".
Then The American Heritage Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary indicates that abridge comes from Middle English abregen, from Old French abregier, from Late Latin abbreviare, to ABBREVIATE.
It then says that the etymology of abbreviate is from Middle English abbreviaten, from Late Latin abbreviare, "to shorten": ab-, "off", or ad-, "toward" + brevis, "short".
So, which of the sources is correct? It appears that the American Heritage Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary took the easy way out by writing that abridge comes from ab-, "off", or ad-, "toward" + brevis, "short"; and this version is essentially shown above in #5, which is the Etymology entry.
2. Restricted, limited, curtailed, diminished, or someone who has been deprived of something: "No one should be allowed to abridge citizens of their legal rights."
3. A reference to a book, play, etc. that has been made shorter or condensed from the original but which contains the same basic story.
2. A compendium of a larger work, with the details and less important things omitted, but retaining the sense and substance; an epitome, or abstract: "Did you see the new abridgment of Gibbon's Roman History?"
"The professor really liked the abridgment of the latest novel by his favorite writer that was published in the newspaper."
3. Etymology: Abridgment, or abridgement was borrowed from Old French abregement, from abregier, "to shorten, to diminish"; from Latin abbreviare, "to make short".2. A writ by which a person is summoned to answer an action, a complaint, etc. in a court of law.
3. A small curved diacritical mark, u curved or like a tiny smile, placed over a vowel to signify that the vowel has a short sound; with such words as: cat, pet, sit, hot, up, and cut.
2. In the Roman Catholic Church, the book containing the "Divine Office" for each day, which those who are in orders are bound to recite.
