An accent mark is a diacritical mark used in written languages to indicate the stress or emphasis on a particular syllable. It is a small symbol placed above or below a letter, which changes the sound or pronunciation of a word. The use of accent marks varies across different languages, and they play an essential role in distinguishing between words that are spelled similarly but have different meanings.
Definitions
An accent mark is a symbol used to indicate the stress or emphasis on a particular syllable in a word. It can be a diacritical mark placed above or below a letter, such as the acute accent (´), the grave accent (`), the circumflex accent (^), the diaeresis (¨), or the tilde (~). The use of accent marks varies across different languages, and they can also indicate other features, such as the length of a vowel or the tone of a word.
Origin
The use of accent marks dates back to ancient Greece, where they were used to indicate the pitch and stress of words in poetry and drama. The Greeks used three types of accents: the acute, the grave, and the circumflex. These marks were later adopted by the Romans and became part of the Latin alphabet. The diacritical marks used in modern languages have evolved from these ancient Greek and Latin accents.
Meaning in different dictionaries
The meaning of accent mark varies across different dictionaries, but generally, it refers to a diacritical mark used to indicate stress or emphasis in a word. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a mark placed over a letter to indicate that it is pronounced with a particular stress or intonation.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “a mark used to indicate the stressed syllable or to indicate a special pronunciation.”
Associations
Accent marks are associated with different languages and cultures. For example, the acute accent is commonly used in Spanish, French, and Portuguese to indicate stress on a syllable. The grave accent is used in French to indicate the pronunciation of certain vowels. The circumflex accent is used in French to indicate a change in pronunciation or to distinguish between homophones. The diaeresis is used in German to indicate that two vowels are pronounced separately, as in the word “coöperate.”
Synonyms
Some synonyms of accent mark include diacritical mark, stress mark, emphasis mark, and accent sign.
Antonyms
There are no direct antonyms of accent mark, but some words that are opposite in meaning include unstressed, unemphasized, and unaccented.
The same root words
Some words that have the same root as accent mark include accentuate, accentuation, and accent.
Example Sentences
- The word “café” has an accent mark over the “e” to indicate the stress on the second syllable.
- In Spanish, the acute accent is used to distinguish between words that are spelled similarly but have different meanings, such as “si” (if) and “sí” (yes).
- The circumflex accent in French is used to indicate a change in pronunciation, as in the word “hôtel” (hotel).
- The diaeresis in German is used to indicate that two vowels are pronounced separately, as in the word “Müllerin.”
- The grave accent in French is used to indicate the pronunciation of certain vowels, as in the word “père” (father).