Crasis

A crasis is when two words are merged into one word with the dropping or merging of a vowel in between. The meaning is not changed. This is common in many European languages and even in English where we have "didn't". A coronis (represented by an apostrophe) was placed in the place where the vowel is dropped but this was later replaced by an apostrophe above the remaining vowel, resembling a smooth breathing mark. The most common example is καὶ which merges with many other words. A crasis is distinct from an elision.

Examples

 * καὶ ἐγώ → κἀγώ (and I)
 * καὶ ἐμοί → κἀμοί (and to me)
 * τὸ αὐτό → ταὐτό (the same, this)
 * τὰ αὐτά → ταὐτά (plural ταὐτό, these)