diakriitti

Diakriitti is a term used in certain linguistic contexts, particularly in relation to Greek and other languages that employ accent marks. It refers to a specific type of accent mark or diacritical sign. In ancient Greek, for example, the polytonic system featured three distinct accents: the acute accent (´), the grave accent (`), and the circumflex accent (˜). The acute accent, when used diacritically over a vowel, is sometimes referred to as a diakriitti. This mark indicated a rising pitch in pronunciation.

The term diakriitti itself is derived from the Greek word diakritikós, meaning "distinguishing." Diacritical marks, including the diakriitti, serve to differentiate words that might otherwise be spelled identically or to indicate pronunciation variations. While the modern Greek language uses a monotonic system with only one accent mark, the historical use of the diakriitti in polytonic Greek remains a significant aspect of classical philology and the study of ancient languages. The concept of diacritical marks extends beyond Greek, appearing in many other languages to modify the sound or meaning of letters, such as in French (é, è) or Spanish (ñ). Therefore, diakriitti is a specialized term within the broader field of phonetics and linguistics, referring to a particular historical or functional type of accent.