apologetic apostrophe noun2 •An apostrophe added to a Scots word in order to give the appearance that it is a contraction of an English word. •A similar apostrophe added to a present participle of the -in form in English or in Scots, producing -in', according to the emic notion that the /ŋ/ is always contracted (as opposed to the forms coexisting allophonically). formsapologetic apostrophes