apostrophe: [17] Apostrophe comes originally from the Greek phrase prosōidiā apóstrophos, literally ‘accent of turning away’, hence, a mark showing where a letter or sound has been omitted. Apóstrophos itself was derived from the compound verb apostréphein, formed from the prefix apo- ‘away’ and the verb stréphein ‘turn’ (related to the second element of catastrophe [16], whose Greek original meant literally ‘overturning’). English acquired the word via French and Latin. => catastrophe
apostrophe (n.)
mark indicating omitted letter, 1580s, from Middle French apostrophe, from Late Latin apostrophus, from Greek apostrophos (prosoidia) "(the accent of) turning away," thus, a mark showing where a letter has been omitted, from apostrephein "avert, turn away," from apo- "from" (see apo-) + strephein "to turn" (see strophe).
In English, the mark often represents loss of -e- in -es, possessive ending. It was being extended to all possessives, whether they ever had an -e- or not, by 18c. Greek also used this word for a "turning aside" of an orator in speech to address some individual, a sense first recorded in English 1530s.
实用例句
1. "It's" (with an apostrophe) should be used only as a contraction for "it is".
it's（带撇号）只能用作itis的缩约形式。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There should be an apostrophe here, and look, you've missed out the word "men" altogether!
这里应该有一个撇号，还有你看，你把men这个单词整个儿漏掉了！
来自柯林斯例句
3. Answer these questions, using the words in parentheses. Put the apostrophe in the right place.
用句后括号中的词或词组来回答问题, 注意撇号的位置.
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. When you contract a word or two words you need to add apostrophe .
当你要缩写一个或者两个词时，你需要加上撇号。
来自辞典例句
5. 'What ,'said Mr. Cruncher, varying his apostrophe after missing his mark --'what are you , up to, Aggerawayter?'
