diacritical in English
- diacritical⇄adv. diacritically.
- diacritical⇄diacritical, adjective.
1a. used or meant to distinguish; distinctive.
Ex. No attempt, of course, is made at exhaustive analysis; the aim, rather, is diacritical, which is all one may fairly demand of an encyclopedia (Punch).
b. (Phonet
diacritical in Gujarati ગુજરાતી
diacritical in Telugu తెలుగు
Diacritical
Part of Speech
Adjective
Pronunciation
/ˌdaɪ.əˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/
Definitions
- Relating to diacritics or accent marks used in writing.
- Serving to distinguish or differentiate.
Usage Examples
- "The diacritical marks in Spanish indicate stress and pronunciation."
- "Diacritical signs help differentiate words in many languages."
Etymology
Derived from the Greek diakritikos ("separative, distinguishing"), from diakrinein ("to distinguish").
Synonyms
- Distinctive
- Accentuating
- Marking
Antonyms
- Non-distinctive
- Plain
Translations
| Language | Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | Diacrítico | /djaˈkritiko/ |
| French | Diacritique | /djakʁitik/ |
| German | Diakritisch | /di.aˈkʁɪ.tɪʃ/ |
| Hindi | स्वरचिह्न संबंधी | /svarachihna sambandhi/ |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 变音符号的 | /biàn yīn fú hào de/ |
| Japanese | 発音区別符号の | /hatsuon kubetsu fugō no/ |
| Arabic | متعلق بعلامات التشكيل | /mutaʿalliq bi-ʿalāmāt at-tashkīl/ |
Regional Pronunciation Variations
The word "diacritical" may have slight phonetic differences between American and British English.
Historical Usage
Diacritical marks have been used since ancient times to indicate pronunciation, stress, or tonal differences in various scripts.
Cultural Nuances
Languages like French and Spanish use diacritical marks to modify meaning, while English rarely employs them except in loanwords.
More Information
Diacritical marks play a crucial role in writing systems, helping differentiate similar words and guiding correct pronunciation. They are essential in languages with tonal distinctions or complex vowel systems.