CEDILLA Meaning and
Definition
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A cedilla refers to a diacritical mark in the form of a small hook-shaped accent appearing beneath a letter. It is commonly used in the orthography of several languages, most notably in the French and Portuguese alphabets. In French, the cedilla is denoted by a small curved stroke (¸) placed beneath the letter 'c' (ç), transforming its pronunciation from a "hard" 'c' to a "soft" 'c' sound, similar to the 's' sound in "pleasure". In Portuguese, the cedilla is applied to the letter 'c' when preceding the vowels 'a', 'o', and 'u' (ç), giving the letter the same pronunciation as the 's' sound in "sip".
Originating from Latin, the cedilla emerged in the Middle Ages as a solution to indicate a change in sound or pronunciation, especially in Romance languages. It acts as an important linguistic tool, differentiating words that would otherwise be spelled similarly but have separate meanings. The cedilla is also known to exist in some other languages, such as Occitan and Catalan, where it has a similar function to that of French and Portuguese.
Overall, the cedilla serves as a diacritic essential for accurate spelling, pronunciation, and differentiation within the written languages that employ it.
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A mark put under the letter c to show that it must be sounded like an s.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for CEDILLA
Etymology of CEDILLA
The word "cedilla" originates from the Romance languages, particularly from the Old Spanish word "cecilla" which means "little z" or "little C". It is derived from the diminutive form of the Old Spanish word "ce" which means "C". The term "cedilla" was later adapted into French as "cé cédille", and eventually entered English in the 17th century.
Similar spelling word for CEDILLA
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