clitic
/ˈklɪtɪk/
noun
- A word that is pronounced like part of a neighboring word and cannot stand alone, such as 'm in I'm or 've in I've.
- In English, the clitic 's can mean 'is' or 'has', as in 'She's happy' or 'He's gone'.
- The word 'em in 'grab 'em' is a clitic form of 'them'.
- Linguists study clitics to understand how languages combine words in speech.