diacritic
noun
[ ˌdʌɪəˈkrɪtɪk ]
• a sign, such as an accent or cedilla, which when written above or below a letter indicates a difference in pronunciation from the same letter when unmarked or differently marked.
diacritic
adjective
• (of a mark or sign) indicating a difference in pronunciation.
Origin:
late 17th century: from Greek diakritikos, from diakrinein ‘distinguish’, from dia- ‘through’ + krinein ‘to separate’.
