2470. A long syllable, preceded by a short monosyllable or by a short
initial syllable, and immediately preceded or followed by the
verse-ictus, may be shortened: as, #ét hŭnc#, #dómŏ mē#, #ad ŭxṓrem#,
#volŭntā́te#.
The short monosyllable may be a word which has become monosyllabic by
elision: as, #ég(o) hănc#.
2471. If the syllable to be shortened is the first of a word of more
than one syllable, or the second of a polysyllable, it must be one which
is long by position, not by nature. There are some possible exceptions
to this rule, such as #verĕbā́minī# (T. _Ph._ 902); but these are few
and doubtful.
2472. Iambic shortening took place not only in verse, but also to a
considerable extent in common speech, particularly in iambic words (see
130), in which the accent coöperated with the verse-ictus to produce the
shortening.