accent
UK /ˈak.sənt/ · US /ˈæk.sɛnt/ noun, verb
Forms accents accenting accented
- noun (linguistics) A higher-pitched or stronger (louder or longer) articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it. “In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.”
- noun (figuratively) Emphasis or importance in general. “At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.”
- noun (orthography) A mark used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress.
- noun (orthography) Any mark used in writing over letters, either in order to indicate the place of the spoken stress, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked, or to distinguish homophones. “The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent.”
- noun Modulation of the voice in speaking; the manner of speaking or pronouncing; a peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice, expressing emotion; tone.
- noun (linguistics, sociolinguistics) The distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.
- noun (informal, sometimes proscribed) A manner of pronunciation suggesting that the speaker is from a different region; a foreign accent. “My professor's accent is so thick that it's difficult to understand her lectures.”
- noun (sign languages) A distinctive manner of producing a sign language, such as someone who does not normally use a certain sign language might have when using it.
- verb (transitive) To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
- verb (transitive) To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
- verb (transitive) To mark with written accents.
Synonyms
stress speech pattern emphasis dialect idiom accent mark emphasize emphasise punctuate accentuate
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English accent, from Medieval Latin accentus and Old French accent, acent, both from Latin accentus, past participle of accinō (“sing to, sing along”), from ad- + canō (“to sing”). The word accent had been borrowed into Old English already, but was lost and reborrowed in Middle English. Displaced native Old English swēġ.
From Middle French accenter, from Old French accenter, from Latin accentō, from accentus.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others.
- noun A mark or character used in writing, and serving to regulate the pronunciation; esp.: (a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent; (b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked; as, the French accents.
- verb To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark); to utter or to mark with accent.
- verb To mark emphatically; to emphasize.
Etymology [F. accent, L. accentus; ad + cantus a singing, canere to sing. See Cant.]
Etymology [OF. accenter, F. accentuer.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “accent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details