diaeresis
/daɪˈɪəɹɪsɪs/
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.24 in modern English
Meaning
noun
A separation of one syllable (especially a vowel which is a diphthong, that is, beginning with one sound and ending with another) into two distinct syllables; distraction.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An occurrence of separate vowel sounds in adjacent syllables without an intervening consonant; a hiatus.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
The diacritical mark consisting of two dots (¨) placed over a letter (especially the second of two consecutive vowels) to indicate that it is sounded separately, usually as a distinct syllable.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
A natural break in rhythm when a word ends at the end of a metrical foot in a line of verse.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An act of separating body parts or tissues which are normally together.
Archaic; Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Diæreſis is vvhen tvvo points ouer a vovvell diuide it from another vovvel, as bouë, queuë, read bou-e, queu-e, not bo-ue, que-ue."
- "The Diæresis is used to divide a diphthong into two syllables; as, Creätor."
- "An 85-year injustice has been rectified at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey with the corrected spelling of one of the greatest of all literary names. Reader, it is finally Brontë, not Bronte. An amended memorial to Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë was unveiled on Thursday with added diaereses (two dots) that ensure people pronounce it with two syllables. As if it rhymed with Monty, not font. The memorial was installed in 1939 and, for whatever reason, came without the diaereses that the Brontës used."
- "There are four^([sic]) manners of performing the Diæreſis: viz. by Cutting, Pricking, Tearing, Dravving, and Burning."
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /daɪˈɪəɹɪsɪs/
- British English: /daɪˈɛɹɪsɪs/