What do you call this ?

[Pads]

When using a word that end's in e and the next word starts with a vowel you drop the e and add a '

Is there a name for this ? like qu'un for instance

Many thanks ....

[IgglePiggle]

Is this what you are looking for ?

The Elision

The elision takes place when a word finishing in a vowel is followed by a word beginning in a vowel.

Grammatical words that end in -e lose it before a vowel. In writing, this -e is replaced by an apostrophe:

Je viens d'un (de + un) pays lointain.

J'attends (= je + attends) d'avoir l'occasion

The vowel -a can be dropped when it is in a personal pronoun before a verb beginning in a vowel:

Pierre aime Marie becomes Pierre l'aime (la + aime).

For the lexical words, -e disappears phonetically and only the vowel that begins the following word is pronounced.

The spelling does not change:

Quatre amis

[Âme]

A contraction, une contraction? I think so, but maybe there is another name.

[Pads]

Thank you for both your replies ... I was asking because I wanted to find a web site that explained it fully ... I have googled both your replies and not found a web site ...in fact contractions gave me lots of birthing web site .... !! any ideas of websites for this ?

Many thanks

[pachapapa]

Perhaps u aint googling rite mate.[:)]

Try "remplacement de e par apostrophe devant un voyelle".[:)] Happy reading.

http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&rls=com.microsoft%3Afr%3AIE-ContextMenu&q=remplacement+de+e+par+apostrophe+devant+un+voyelle&btnG=Rechercher&meta=&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

[Pads]

Many Thanks for that guys ...

[pachapapa]

Mon Dieu just noticed I put UN voyelle.[:$][:$][:$]

[Pads]

Stop showing off now ....!! One day I might even reconise my mistakes ....ONEDAY!!!! Huh

[Âme]

Sorry about that, Pads. In that case definitely don't search regles +contractions [:-))] Aiiiiieeeeeee!