circumflex
[/ˈsɜːrkəmflɛks/]
nounpl: circumflexes
circunflexo
1. A diacritical mark (^) placed over a vowel to indicate a change in pronunciation or stress
The circumflex accent in French changes the pronunciation of the letter 'e' in words like 'être'.
O acento circunflexo em francês altera a pronúncia da letra 'e' em palavras como 'être'.
2. In Portuguese, a diacritical mark (^) used to indicate closed or nasal vowels
In Portuguese, the circumflex appears in words like 'pêssego' and 'avô'.
Em português, o circunflexo aparece em palavras como 'pêssego' e 'avô'.
3. Something shaped like an arch or bent like a bow
The circumflex shape of the bird's wings was elegant.
A forma circunflexa das asas do pássaro era elegante.
The circumflex accent is particularly important in Portuguese and French orthography. In Brazilian Portuguese, it marks the tonic vowel in words like 'pêssego' (peach) and indicates nasal vowels in 'avô' (grandfather). The Portuguese spelling reform of 1990 reduced the use of the circumflex, removing it from words ending in -eem and -oo in European Portuguese, though Brazilian Portuguese retained many traditional uses. Understanding the circumflex is essential for proper Portuguese spelling and pronunciation.
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