ABSTRACT
In connexion with weak stress we often find a reduction of vowels, which are made indistinct or even dropped altogether. This is seen in many compounds, but has particular grammatical importance in the weak forms of prepositions and auxiliary verbs; note especially the distinction between that as a pronoun of pointing and as a conjunction, and the similar distinction between full and weak there. The weak form of not, n't, is fused together with auxiliaries. In connexion with phonetic weakening we have often loss of the original full meaning, as when have is used to form the perfect and will (' ll) to indicate future time without any regard to volition.
