This collected volume is devoted to a comprehensive treatment of the subject of "linguistic brevity." The themes include aspects of language economy, communication theory, shortened words in various European languages, brevity in word-formation and syntax, rhetoric and stylistics, brevity as a principle in giving personal first names. The volume contains contributions by renowned authors and gives overviews of research as well as presenting novel approaches. This hitherto unique volume presents an almost encyclopaedic account illuminating the varying dimensions of a complex area.