diacritical
|di-a-crit-i-cal|
C1
/ˌdaɪəˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marking distinction
Etymology
Etymology Information
'diacritical' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'diakritikos,' where 'dia-' meant 'through' and 'krinein' meant 'to separate.'
Historical Evolution
'diakritikos' transformed into the Latin word 'diacriticalis,' and eventually became the modern English word 'diacritical.'
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'to separate or distinguish,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'relating to diacritic marks.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to a diacritic mark, which is a sign added to a letter to indicate a different pronunciation, stress, tone, or meaning.
The diacritical marks in the word 'café' indicate the pronunciation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/04/19 15:48