Editing Latin phonology and orthography (section)

==Elision==
Where one word ended with a vowel (including the nasalized vowels written {{angbr|am}}, {{angbr|em}}, {{angbr|im}}, {{angbr|om}} and {{angbr|um}}, and the diphthong {{angbr|ae}}) and the next word began with a vowel, the former vowel, at least in verse, was regularly elided; that is, it was omitted altogether, or possibly (in the case of {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}) pronounced like the corresponding semivowel. When the second word was {{lang|la|est}} or {{lang|la|es}}, and possibly when the second word was {{lang|la|et}}, a different form of elision sometimes occurred ([[prodelision]]): the vowel of the preceding word was retained, and the {{angbr|e}} was elided instead. Elision also occurred in Ancient Greek, but in that language, it is shown in writing by the vowel in question being replaced by an apostrophe, whereas in Latin elision is not indicated at all in the orthography, but can be deduced from the verse form. Only occasionally is it found in inscriptions, as in {{lang|la|scriptust}} for {{lang|la|scriptum est}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Allen|Greenough|2001|p=400|loc=section 612 e, f}}</ref><!-- This reference covers elision and prodelision in poetry; a reference for elision in Ancient Greek and Latin inscriptions is still needed. -->