‘Probably’ is often pronounced /probly/. The syllable ‘ba’ is deleted because it’s followed by another syllable starting with a b. This is called haplology – or haplogy if you will.

Some people have an issue with /probly/, but what they don’t know is that their beloved form ‘probably’ is the result of haplology too: in Middle English, it was ‘probablely’.

Haplology can be found in all ages and places. My new infographic shows cases from English, Latin, French, Greek, German, and Portuguese.

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Haplology is a so-called sporadic sound change. In the short article on my Patreon (470 words, tier 1), you'll learn all about the difference between sporadic sound changes such as haplology, and regular sound changes.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/probly-haplogy-158495711

@yvanspijk

#alttext

(this is a word salad of text in different directions, sorry for any confusion)

HAPLOLOGY
the process of deleting one of two syllables starting with the same consonant. It's some-times jokingly called haplogy.

Old English Engla land land of the Angles Engla, genitive of Engle Angles
English England

Early Modern French Clermont-Montferrand the cities Clermont and Montferrand joined
French Clermont-Ferrand

Middle English
probablely -probable + ly
English
probably applies to all adjectives ending in -le
Colloquial English
probly prolly by loss of b; not haplology

Middle French contrerole counter-roll used for verification, from Latin contrārotula
French contrôle control
English control

Ancient Greek
Old Latin
*noutrītrix wet nurse, from noutri- to feed and -trix feminine agent suffix
Latin
nūtrīx
English nutricious

Portuguese (obsolete)
idadoso
elderly, from idade age plus-oso-ous
Portuguese idoso

Ancient Greek
ἀμφιφορεύς (amphiphoreús) two-handled jar, from amphí on both sides and phoreús bearer
Ancient Greek
ἀμφορεύς ....... (amphoreús)
English amphora
Latin amphora

Latin
τραγικοκωμῳδία (tragikokōmōidía) tragicomedy, from tragikós tragic and kōmōidia comedy
.......
tragicomoedia
English
tragicomedy

Taal
aan de wandel

German (obsolete)
Narzissismus
narcissism, from Narziss Narcissus plus -ismus-ism
German
Narzismus

English
library
Colloquial English libry

(Old?) Latin *habibilis skilful, from habē-to have plus -bilis
Latin habilis
Old French able
English able

@yvanspijk is this what happened to "february" too?

@noisytoot That's a different change: the r was elided because it didn't go well with the y sound that the u makes.

@yvanspijk

So then "BAB lee" isn't right?

@yvanspijk
People who get hung up about "probly" vs "probably" must feel so incredibly lucky. What are the odds that they get to be alive during the precise moment in time that the English language has finally been perfected?

It's like those unique drivers who have the perfect, innate knowledge that they, and they alone, are driving at the correct speed.

@Sfwmson Who's BAB lee?

@yvanspijk

sorry. I meant to post " pro BAB lee!