Minút

Minút is a cross-linguistic term used to denote the unit of time known in English as a minute. In some orthographies the form minút includes an acute accent on the ú, a diacritic that in certain languages marks vowel quality or stress. The existence of the accented form reflects broader practices of writing time-related words with diacritics to preserve pronunciation in native orthographies.

Etymology traces minút to the Latin minuta, via the medieval Latin and Old French derivatives that gave rise to minute in several Romance languages. The English word minute, for example, ultimately shares this lineage. In languages that retain diacritics, minút or its variants are recognized as cognate forms of the same time unit, with pronunciation and inflection shaped by local phonology and grammar.

Orthography and pronunciation vary by language. In marked spellings, the accent may signal a specific vowel length or a secondary level of stress. In contexts where diacritics are omitted, the word may be written as minut or minút without diacritical marks, depending on the orthographic conventions of the language.

Usage notes emphasize that minút functions as a count noun for a duration of sixty seconds in languages that employ the diacritic form. It appears in time expressions, schedules, and formal writings, while English texts typically render the unit as minute. In dictionaries and language-learning materials, minút is shown with its proper diacritics to aid learners in acquiring correct pronunciation and orthography.

See also Minute (time), Mínút (contexts using diacritics), and Minuta (related forms in other languages).