accentology

noun

ac·​cent·​ol·​o·​gy ˌak-ˌsen-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce accentology (audio)
linguistics
: the study of accentuation in language : a system of accentuation in a particular language
The book also gives a bibliography, listing key books and articles of interest to students of Serbo-Croatian accentology.Thomas J. Butler, General Linguistics, 1972
accentological adjective
accentological studies
accentologist noun
plural accentologists
Various accentologists have told me how hard it is to teach native speakers to become aware of the prosodic distinctions in their own dialects and thereby to teach them to read and write accented materials for any purpose. Horace G. Lunt, Language, September 1970

Word History

Etymology

accent entry 1 + -o- + -logy (after Russian aktsentologiya or German Accentologie)

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of accentology was in 1881

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Dictionary Entries Near accentology

Cite this Entry

“Accentology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accentology. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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