What Are the Two Dots Above a Letter Called- Exploring the Double Diacritic Mystery
What are the 2 dots above a letter called?
The two dots that appear above certain letters are known as “tittle” or “umlaut.” These small marks have been used in various writing systems throughout history to denote different linguistic features or to distinguish between similar-looking characters. In this article, we will explore the origins, uses, and significance of the tittle and umlaut in different languages and writing systems.
The tittle is an ancient symbol that originated in the Greek alphabet. It was used to indicate the stress on a vowel or to differentiate between similar-looking letters. In the Latin alphabet, the tittle was used to denote the long vowel sounds and to distinguish between the long and short forms of certain letters. For example, the tittle above the “i” in “æ” (a long “e” sound) and “æ” (a long “a” sound) helped to differentiate between these sounds.
The umlaut, on the other hand, is a more recent development and was introduced into the Latin alphabet by the Germanic languages. It was initially used to indicate a change in vowel sound, such as the diphthongization of vowels (i.e., the merging of two vowel sounds into one). The umlaut is characterized by two dots placed above a vowel, and it is often used to indicate a softening of the vowel sound, as in the German word “Schiff” (ship), where the umlaut over the “i” indicates that the “i” sound is soft and similar to the “ee” sound in “see.”
In modern English, the tittle and umlaut are less commonly used, but they can still be found in certain contexts. For example, the tittle is used in the word “æsthetics,” which comes from the Greek word “aisthetikos,” and the umlaut is used in loanwords from German, such as “Österreich” (Austria) and “Schweiz” (Switzerland).
The tittle and umlaut have also been used in various other languages and writing systems. In Hungarian, for instance, the tittle is used to indicate the long vowel sounds, while in Lithuanian, the umlaut is used to indicate a change in vowel sound. In the Cyrillic alphabet, the tittle is used to denote the long vowel sounds, while in the Greek alphabet, it is used to indicate the accent on a vowel.
In conclusion, the tittle and umlaut are two small marks that have been used in various writing systems to denote different linguistic features and to distinguish between similar-looking characters. While their use may have diminished in modern English, they continue to play an important role in many other languages and writing systems around the world.
