Komillas

Komillas, also known as guión or preferible, is a diacritic mark used in some Spanish-speaking countries and in Spain. It is a small raised dot or acute accent, similar to the French diacritic mark 'agrave'. In the Spanish language, the komilla is used on top of the letters 'u' and 'Ü'.

The use of komillas in Spanish dates back to the 18th century, during the period of the Spanish Empire. It was introduced to distinguish between the letters 'u' and 'ü', which in some dialects were a source of confusion. The komilla is still used today in some parts of Spain, although in other regions, it is no longer employed.

In some countries, such as Mexico and parts of Central America, the komilla is not used at all. However, in other countries with Spanish as an official language, such as Bolivia and Paraguay, the komilla is still widely used. The use of diacritics in Spanish language can vary significantly across different regions, which can lead to differences in spelling.

The komilla is part of the conventional rules of Spanish orthography. According to these rules, the komilla is used to indicate the long "u" sound. However, in some modern Spanish dialects, the long "u" sound is sometimes represented by the letter "ü" without a komilla. The use of komillas has also influenced the spelling of proper names, place names, and surnames.

The use of the komilla can be considered an example of the complexities of the Spanish language and its regional variations.