ainiks
Ainiks, also known as "ainiks" or "ainiks" in some contexts, refers to a set of three punctuation marks used in certain languages, particularly in the Cyrillic script. These marks are the apostrophe ( ‘ ), the grave accent ( ` ), and the acute accent ( ´ ). They are collectively referred to as "ainiks" in Russian and some other Slavic languages, derived from the Russian word "айник," which loosely translates to "little hook" or "little mark," referencing their appearance.
In Russian typography, ainiks are primarily used to denote grammatical cases, specifically the genitive plural of
Historically, ainiks were introduced in the early 20th century to simplify spelling and improve readability. They
Beyond Russian, ainiks appear in other Slavic languages like Ukrainian and Belarusian, though their usage varies.