diacritic
nounEtymology Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek διακριτικός (diakritikós, “distinguishing, separative”), from διακρῑ́νω (diakrī́nō, “to distinguish, separate”), from δια- (dia-, “between”) + κρῑ́νω (krī́nō, “I separate, distinguish”).
1
A special mark added to a letter to indicate a different pronunciation, stress, tone, or meaning.
2
A letter added to another letter serving a similar indicative function.
- A notable feature in N is the frequent oa spellings […] The a is here a diacritic which is meant to distinguish /ɔ̄/ from /ō/ on the model of the distinction ea /ǣ/—e /ē/ in the AB texts.1965, Arne Zettersten, Studies in the dialect and vocabulary of the Ancrene Riwle (Lund Studies in English; 31), Lund: C. W. K. Gleerup, page 173:
- Derived terms
- diacritical, diacritically, diacriticked, diacriticless