Grammar analysis of "ぽくって"


Recently I heard the sentence:

> 強い、より命令 **ぽくって** その人がこうもらえると思ってるものを返してほしい

when the teacher was trying to explain difference between "要望" and "要求".

I am wondering if "ぽくって" is the informal "テ形" of "っぽい" because it looks like
"っぽくて".




It is exactly as you stated.

Using 「Word + **っぽい** 」 over 「Word + **ぽい** 」 is actually a "recent" phonetic
trend in the history of the language. The trend is only about 100-plus years
old.

If you read novels from Meiji Era (1868 - 1912), you will notice the
coexistence of both forms.

「～～くって」 is the colloquial form of 「～～くて」 and it is very common in our spoken
language. It is, of course, the te-form of an i-adjective.

e.g. 「このリンゴはあまく（っ）ておいしい。」("This apple is sweet and yummy.")

It can, however, be kind of difficult (and even stressful) to utter
「命令{めいれい}っぽくって」 with two small っ sounds in such a short phrase because, as in
any language, we tend to speak fast in our informal conversations.

Thus, uttering either 「命令ぽくって」or 「命令っぽくて」 using only one small っ would be much
easier.

I think this is why the person in question said 「命令ぽくって」 (almost)
instinctively as a native speaker.

