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Webster 1913 Edition

Accent

Ac′centˊ

,
Noun.
[F.
accent
, L.
accentus
;
ad
+
cantus
a singing,
canere
to sing. See
Cant
.]
1.
A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others.
☞ Many English words have two accents, the primary and the secondary; the primary being uttered with a greater stress of voice than the secondary; as in as´pira˝tion, where the chief stress is on the third syllable, and a slighter stress on the first. Some words, as an´tiap´o-plec˝tic, in-com´pre-hen´si-bil˝i-ty, have two secondary accents. See Guide to Pron., §§ 30-46.
2.
A mark or character used in writing, and serving to regulate the pronunciation; esp.:
(a)
a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent;
(b)
a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked;
as, the French
accents
.
☞ In the ancient Greek the acute accent (´) meant a raised tone or pitch, the grave (`), the level tone or simply the negation of accent, the circumflex ( ~ or ^) a tone raised and then depressed. In works on elocution, the first is often used to denote the rising inflection of the voice; the second, the falling inflection; and the third (^), the compound or waving inflection. In dictionaries, spelling books, and the like, the acute accent is used to designate the syllable which receives the chief stress of voice.
3.
Modulation of the voice in speaking; manner of speaking or pronouncing; peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice; tone;
as, a foreign
accent
; a French or a German
accent
.
“Beguiled you in a plain accent.”
Shak.
“A perfect accent.”
Thackeray.
The tender
accent
of a woman’s cry.
Prior.
4.
A word; a significant tone
;
(pl.)
expressions in general; speech.
Winds! on your wings to Heaven her
accents
bear,
Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear.
Dryden.
5.
(Pros.)
Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
6.
(Mus.)
(a)
A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
(b)
A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure.
(c)
The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period.
(d)
The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage.
J. S. Dwight.
7.
(Math.)
(a)
A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y´, y˝.
(b)
(Trigon.)
A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc.;
as, 12´27˝, i. e., twelve minutes twenty seven seconds.
(c)
(Engin.)
A mark used to denote feet and inches;
as, 6´ 10˝ is six feet ten inches
.

Ac-cent′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Accented
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Accenting
.]
[OF.
accenter
, F.
accentuer
.]
1.
To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark); to utter or to mark with accent.
2.
To mark emphatically; to emphasize.

Webster 1828 Edition

Accent

AC'CENT

,
Noun.
[L. accentus, from ad and cano, cantum, to sing; See Accend.]
1.
The modulation of the voice in reading or speaking, as practiced by the ancient Greeks, which rendered their rehearsal musical. More strictly, in English,
2.
A particular stress or force of voice upon certain syllables of words, which distinguishes them from the others. Accent is of two kinds, primary and secondary; as in as'pira'tion. In uttering this word, we observe the first and third syllables are distinguished; the third by a full sound, which constitutes the primary accent; the first by a degree of force in the voice which is less than that of the primary accent, but evidently greater than that which falls on the second and fourth syllables.
When the full accent falls on a vowel, that vowel has its long sound, as in vo'cal; but when it falls on an articulation or consonant, the preceding vowel is short, as in hab'it. Accent alone regulates English verse.
3.
A mark or character used in writing to direct the stress of the voice in pronunciation. Our ancestors borrowed from the Greek language three of these characters, the acute, the grave and circumflex. In the Greek, the first shows when the voice is to be raised; the second, when it is to be depressed; and the third, when the vowel is to be uttered with an undulating sound.
4.
A modulation of the voice expressive of passions or sentiments.
The tender accents of a woman's cry.
5.
Manner of speaking.
A man of plain accent. Obs.
6.
Poetically, words, language, or expressions in general.
Words, on your wings, to heaven her accents bear,
Such words as heaven alone is fit to hear.
7.
In music, a swelling of sounds, for the purpose of variety or expression. the principal accent falls on the first note in the bar, but the third place in common time requires also an accent.
8.
A peculiar tone or inflection of voice.

AC'CENT

,
Verb.
T.
To express accent; to utter a syllable with a particular stress or modulation of the voice. In poetry, to utter or pronounce in general. Also to note accents by marks in writing.

Definition 2024

accent

accent

English

Pronunciation

Noun

accent ‎(plural accents)

  1. (linguistics) A higher-pitched or stronger articulation of a particular syllable of a word or phrase in order to distinguish it from the others or to emphasize it.
    In the word "careful", the accent is placed on the first syllable.
  2. (figuratively) Emphasis or importance in general.
    At this hotel, the accent is on luxury.
  3. (orthography) A mark or character used in writing, in order to indicate the place of the spoken accent, or to indicate the nature or quality of the vowel marked.
    The name Cézanne is written with an acute accent.
  4. Modulation of the voice in speaking; the manner of speaking or pronouncing; a peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice, expressing emotion; tone.
    • 1608, William Shakespeare, King Lear, II-ii
      I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to 't.
    • 1696, Matthew Prior, "From Celia to Damon", in Poems on Several Occasions
      The tender Accent of a Woman's Cry / Will pass unheard, will unregarded die;
  5. (linguistics) The distinctive manner of pronouncing a language associated with a particular region, social group, etc., whether of a native speaker or a foreign speaker; the phonetic and phonological aspects of a dialect.
    a foreign accent   an American, British or Australian accent
  6. (linguistics, sign languages) A distinctive manner of producing a sign language, such as someone who does not normally use a certain sign language might have when using it.
  7. A word; a significant tone or sound.
  8. (usually plural only) Expressions in general; speech.
    • Dryden
      Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear, / Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear.
  9. (prosody, poetry) Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
  10. (music) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure.
  11. (music) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure.
  12. (music) The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period.
  13. (music) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of J. S. Dwight to this entry?)
  14. (music) A mark used to represent specific stress on a note.
  15. (mathematics) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y', y''.
  16. (geometry) A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc., as in 12' 27'', meaning twelve minutes and twenty-seven seconds.
  17. (engineering) A mark used to denote feet and inches, as in 6' 10'', meaning six feet ten inches.
  18. Emphasis laid on a part of an artistic design or composition; an emphasized detail, in particular a detail in sharp contrast to its surroundings.
  19. A very small gemstone set into a piece of jewellery.
  20. A distinctive feature or quality.
  21. (archaic) Utterance.
Derived terms
Translations

See also

References

Etymology 2

From the Middle French accenter, from the Old French accenter, from the Latin accentāre, the present active infinitive form of accentō, from accentus, whence the English noun accent.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: ăk-sĕntʹ, IPA(key): /ækˈsɛnt/
  • (US) enPR: ăk-sĕntʹ, ăkʹsĕnt, IPA(key): /ækˈsɛnt/, /ˈæk.sɛnt/

Verb

accent ‎(third-person singular simple present accents, present participle accenting, simple past and past participle accented)

  1. (transitive) To express the accent of vocally; to utter with accent.
  2. (transitive) To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.
  3. (transitive) To mark with written accents.
Translations

References

Danish

Etymology

From Latin accentus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aksanɡ/, [ɑɡ̊ˈsɑŋ]

Noun

accent c (singular definite accenten, plural indefinite accenter)

  1. accent (a nonstandard way of pronouncing, a mark used in writing, a stronger articulation)

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

accent n ‎(plural accenten, diminutive accentje n)

  1. accent (nonstandard way of pronouncing)

French

Pronunciation

Noun

accent m ‎(plural accents)

  1. accent, manner or tone of speech
  2. (linguistics) an accent symbol
  3. (linguistics) accent, stress
  4. (music) strain, section

Derived terms

Norman

Etymology

From Old French acent, from Latin accentus, from ad + cantus ‎(“song”).

Noun

accent m ‎(plural accents)

  1. (linguistics) accent, stress

Old English

Etymology

From Latin accentus

Noun

accent m

  1. an accent
    baric, ðæt ys hefig accent — baric, that is a heavy accent

Declension

References

  • 1916, John R. Clark, "A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary for the Use of Students", accent
  • 2010, J. Bosworth, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online (T. N. Toller & Others, Eds.), accent

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈakːsɛnːt/, /ˈakːsaŋː/

Noun

accent c

  1. an accent, an emphasis, a stress (in articulation)
  2. an accent, a mark on a letter (grave or acute)
  3. an accent, a voice influenced by dialect or another language

Declension

Inflection of accent 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative accent accenten accenter accenterna
Genitive accents accentens accenters accenternas

Etymology

First attested in the late 14th century. (The "decorative" sense is first attested in 1972.) From Middle French accent, from Old French acent, from Latin accentus, past participle of accinō ‎(“sing to, sing along”), from ad- ‎(“to”) + canō ‎(“sing”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɑkːent/

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