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diaeresis

[ dahy-er-uh-sis ]

noun

, plural di·aer·e·ses [dahy-, er, -, uh, -seez].


diaeresis

/ daɪˈɛrɪsɪs; ˌdaɪəˈrɛtɪk /

noun

  1. the mark ¨, in writing placed over the second of two adjacent vowels to indicate that it is to be pronounced separately rather than forming a diphthong with the first, as in some spellings of coöperate , naïve , etc
  2. this mark used for any other purpose, such as to indicate that a special pronunciation is appropriate to a particular vowel Compare umlaut
  3. a pause in a line of verse occurring when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • diaeretic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • di·ae·ret·ic [dahy-, uh, -, ret, -ik], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of diaeresis1

C17: from Latin diarēsis , from Greek diairesis a division, from diairein , from dia- + hairein to take; compare heresy
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Example Sentences

A memorial to the Brontë sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne has had diaereses added above the letter "e" of the authors' surname, 85 years after it was unveiled.

From BBC

She understands that “The New Yorker’s identity is partly defined by its deliberately conservative diaeresis on words like ‘coöperate.’

If you find these difficult to read, The New Yorker has a solution: next year, consider the diaeresis.

I could jettison the diaeresis, impose my own logic on the hyphen, and defy Webster’s by, say, making two words out of “hardworking.”

I wouldn’t wish an episode of diaeresis on anyone, but you asked for it.

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diadromousdiag.