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.
例文
1. "It's" (with an apostrophe ) should be used only as a contraction for "it is".
it 's（アポストロフィ付き）は、itisの短縮形としてのみ使用できます。
2.There should be an apostrophe here，and look，you 've missed out the word "men "altogether！
ここにはアポストロフィがあるはずだ。そして、見て、menという単語を全部見逃してしまった！Answer these questions，using the words in parentheses.Put the apostrophe in the right place.
文の後括弧の中の単語やフレーズで質問に答え、アポストロフィの位置に注意する。
4.When you contract a word or two words you need to add apostrophe .
1つまたは2つの単語を略すには、アポストロフィを付ける必要があります。
5.'What，'said Mr.Cruncher，varying his apostrophe after missing his mark--'what are you，up to，Aggerawayter？'