macron etymology

Etymology:

The word "macron" is derived from Greek, where it means "long" or "large." It is derived from the Greek root "μακρός" (makros), meaning "long, large, or great."

Meaning:

In linguistics, a macron is a diacritical mark that is placed over a vowel to indicate that it is pronounced long. It is represented by a horizontal line above the vowel, e.g., "ā."

Origin:

The macron originated in ancient Greek as a mark for lengthening a vowel. It was first used in the 3rd century BC by the grammarian Aristophanes of Byzantium. He placed the macron over vowels to distinguish long vowels from short vowels, which were not marked.

Over time, the macron was adopted into other languages, including Latin, which used it to indicate long vowels in classical texts. From Latin, it spread to other European languages, including English, French, and German.

In English, the macron is primarily used in dictionaries and textbooks to mark long vowels in words that may be pronounced differently depending on vowel length. For example, the word "tie" is pronounced with a short "i" sound, while "tīe" is pronounced with a long "i" sound.

macron relate terms

  • emaciate

    Etymology Latin emaciatus emaciated wasted Participles of emaciare to make thin

  • macro

    Etymology The word macro is derived from the Greek word makros meaning large or l

  • macrobiotic

    Etymology Derived from Greek roots makros μακρός meaning long or great

  • macron

    Etymology The word macron is derived from Greek where it means long or large It

  • meager

    Etymology The word meager originates from the Middle English word megre which is de

  • paramecium

    Etymology The term paramecium is derived from the Greek word paramēkēs which mean

  • diacritic

    Etymology The word diacritic comes from the Greek word diakritikos meaning distinct

  • conniption

    Etymology Late 18th century from the verb connive meaning to wink at or pretend

  • austere

    Etymology Late Latin austērus harsh severe Greek austēros dry harsh Proto I

  • system

    Etymology The word system comes from the Late Latin systema which is derived from t

  • republic

    Etymology Derived from the Latin word res publica literally meaning public thing or

  • baccalaureate

    Etymology and Meaning The word baccalaureate originates from the Medieval Latin word b

  • eccentric

    Etymology Eccentric originates from the Latin word eccentricus which means out of th