Definition

Noun: 1. A diacritical mark (˘): A curved, U-shaped symbol placed above a vowel letter to indicate that the vowel has a short pronunciation. 2. A musical note: In early music notation, a note having the time value of two whole notes.

Usage

• In Phonetics and Orthography: The breve is used to mark a short vowel sound, often in contrast to a macron (¯), which marks a long vowel. It is frequently seen in dictionaries, pronunciation guides, and texts for language learners.
  • The word "căt" uses a breve over the 'a' to show it is pronounced as a short vowel, like in "cat".
  • In the dictionary, the breve helps distinguish the pronunciation of "pĕt" from "pāte".
• In Music: The breve is a historical note value, rarely used in modern music.
  • The medieval manuscript used breves and semibreves to indicate rhythm.

Advanced Usage

• "To mark with a breve": The act of placing this diacritical mark on a letter.
  • The editor decided to breve the vowel to clarify the correct pronunciation for students.

Variants and Related Words

• Brevis (adj, Latin origin): The Latin word meaning "short," from which "breve" is derived.
• Macron (n): The diacritical mark (¯) indicating a long vowel sound, serving as the direct counterpart to the breve.
• Semibreve (n): A musical note with half the time value of a breve (in modern usage, equivalent to a whole note).

Synonyms

• Short mark (informal, in phonetics).
• Diacritic, diacritical mark (general category).

Notes on Meaning

The two primary meanings of "breve" are distinct but share the common Latin root brevis (short). In language, it indicates a short sound duration. In music, it originally represented a short note, though its value became longer as musical notation evolved. The linguistic usage is far more common in contemporary English.

Noun

1. a diacritical mark (U-shaped) placed over a vowel to indicate a short sound