Diakritiikat

Diakritiikat refers to diacritical marks, which are signs added to letters in a word to change their pronunciation, stress, or meaning. These marks are commonly found in many alphabetic writing systems, particularly in languages that have borrowed from or been influenced by Latin, Greek, or Arabic. Their primary function is to disambiguate homophones or to represent sounds that do not have a unique letter in the standard alphabet.

Common examples of diacritics include the acute accent (é), grave accent (è), circumflex (ê), umlaut or diaeresis (ë), tilde (ñ), and cedilla (ç). The acute accent often indicates stress or a specific vowel sound. The grave accent can denote a different vowel sound or a falling tone. The circumflex is frequently used to indicate a vowel that was historically followed by a consonant that has since been dropped, or it can modify vowel pronunciation. The umlaut or diaeresis signifies that a vowel should be pronounced separately from the preceding vowel or altered in sound. The tilde is often used to indicate nasalization or a palatalized consonant sound. The cedilla modifies the sound of a consonant, typically making it sound like an 's'.

Diacritics are essential for correct pronunciation and understanding in languages such as French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and many others. Their absence or incorrect use can lead to misinterpretation and communication errors. While some languages use diacritics extensively, others, like English, use them sparingly, primarily in borrowed words or for specific stylistic purposes. The systematic inclusion of diacritics in spelling is a characteristic of many modern European languages.