WordPlay: Abandoned Accents
If you cite information from this LexiConnexxions report, please give credit and a link to this page. These reports and analyses are compiled and prepared by a human being, not a machine. Thank you.
The Spelling Bee lexicon includes many words that, in their languages of origin, are spelled with diacritics or characters that are not in the English alphabet, including some words that make very frequent appearances in the Bee, such as ACAI, PINATA, CAFE, PLIE, etc.
Why are these words included in the Bee?
Merriam-Webster advises that "In English, words having diacritics are borrowings from other languages, and the marks are not a natural part of the English language itself. However, lexicographers have adopted diacritics to indicate English pronunciation and, of course, to show word etymologies. Although the English borrowings enter the language with their markings, they are often dropped from many spellings through Anglicization."
And that is why it is acceptable for the Spelling Bee to include these words without their accents or special characters, because in American English (the language on which the Spelling Bee is based), those words are not always spelled the same as they are in their languages of origin. And of course, the design of the puzzle does not permit for the entry of any characters other than unaccented A-Z.
What most of us casually call “accent marks” are more properly called “diacritics.”
Merriam-Webster defines “diacritic” as “a mark near or through an orthographic or phonetic character or combination of characters indicating a phonetic value different from that given the unmarked or otherwise marked element.”
And Merriam-Webster defines an “accent” as “a mark (such as ´, `, ˆ) used in writing or printing to indicate a specific sound value, stress, or pitch, to distinguish words otherwise identically spelled, or to indicate that an ordinarily mute vowel should be pronounced, or an accented letter.”
The list below shows the Bee words that in their languages of origin are spelled with diacritics or special characters. (Except for the diacritics, several of these words are similar to other words in English that are unrelated, with different etymologies and meanings, such as BOMBE, CANON, LAME, MATE, PATE, and PAVE.) Bee words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Spelling Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
Why are these words included in the Bee?
Merriam-Webster advises that "In English, words having diacritics are borrowings from other languages, and the marks are not a natural part of the English language itself. However, lexicographers have adopted diacritics to indicate English pronunciation and, of course, to show word etymologies. Although the English borrowings enter the language with their markings, they are often dropped from many spellings through Anglicization."
And that is why it is acceptable for the Spelling Bee to include these words without their accents or special characters, because in American English (the language on which the Spelling Bee is based), those words are not always spelled the same as they are in their languages of origin. And of course, the design of the puzzle does not permit for the entry of any characters other than unaccented A-Z.
What most of us casually call “accent marks” are more properly called “diacritics.”
Merriam-Webster defines “diacritic” as “a mark near or through an orthographic or phonetic character or combination of characters indicating a phonetic value different from that given the unmarked or otherwise marked element.”
And Merriam-Webster defines an “accent” as “a mark (such as ´, `, ˆ) used in writing or printing to indicate a specific sound value, stress, or pitch, to distinguish words otherwise identically spelled, or to indicate that an ordinarily mute vowel should be pronounced, or an accented letter.”
The list below shows the Bee words that in their languages of origin are spelled with diacritics or special characters. (Except for the diacritics, several of these words are similar to other words in English that are unrelated, with different etymologies and meanings, such as BOMBE, CANON, LAME, MATE, PATE, and PAVE.) Bee words marked with an asterisk have been used in at least one Spelling Bee puzzle, then subsequently disallowed; they are retained here for historical interest.
ABOUT THE LEXITOPICS PROJECT
Abandoned Accents in the Spelling Bee lexicon
ACAI – from açaiATTACHE – from attachéBOMBE – from bombéBRULOT – from café brûlotCAFE – from caféCANAPE – from canapéCANON – from cañonCHATEAU – from châteauCHATEAUX – from châteauxCLICHE – from clichéCLICHED – from clichéd
DEBUT – from début
DEBUTED – from débutedDECO – from DécoDENOUEMENT – from dénouementDETENTE – from détenteECLAT – from éclatELAN – from élanENGAGE – from engagéEPEE – from épéeETOUFFEE – from étouffée
FIANCE – from fiancéFIANCEE – from fiancée
GATEAU – from gâteauGELEE – from geléeGLACE – from glacéJETE – from jetéLAME – from laméMATE – from matéMELANGE – from mélangeMELEE – from mêléeMENAGE* – from ménage
NAIF – from naïfNAIVE – from naïveNAIVELY – from naïvely
NAIVETE – from naïveté or naivetéNEGLIGEE – from negligéPATE – from pâtéPAVE – from pavéPINATA – from piñataPLIE – from pliéRAGU – from ragùTOUCHE – from touchéVOILA – from voilà
Definitions
ACAI: M-W has or less commonly açai: or acai berry or less commonly açai berry: a small, dark purple, berrylike fruit with a juicy pulp that is often used in beverages or eaten raw and that is produced by a tall, slender palm (Euterpe oleracea) native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America; also, acai palm or less commonly açai palm : the palm (Euterpe oleracea) that produces acai berries; also, a beverage made from the juice of the acai berryATTACHE: M-W has only attaché: a technical expert on a country's diplomatic staff at a foreign capitalBOMBE: bombé: having outward curving lines —usually used of furniture [bombe is a frozen dessert]BRULOT: M-W: Only in the open compound “café brûlot,” a drink prepared with black coffee, cognac that is ignited and allowed to burn briefly, sweetening, and flavoring (as lemon peel, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla)CAFE: M-W has café, or less commonly cafe: a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments; a restaurantCANAPE: canapé, an appetizer consisting of a piece of bread or toast or a cracker topped with a savory spread (such as caviar or cheese)CANON: cañon: less common spelling of canyon, a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through itCHATEAU: M-W has château; plural châteaux [or châteaus]: a feudal castle or fortress in France; also, a large country house: mansion; also, a French vineyard estateCHATEAUX: M-W has château; plural châteaux [or châteaus]: a feudal castle or fortress in France; also, a large country house: mansion; also, a French vineyard estateCLICHE: or less commonly cliché: : a trite phrase or expression; also: the idea expressed by it; also, a hackneyed theme, characterization, or situation; also, something (such as a menu item) that has become overly familiar or commonplaceCLICHED: clichéd: marked by or abounding in clichés; hackneyed (a clichéd phrase); M-W offers no unaccented variation; Collins says “in BRIT, also use cliched”DEBUT: or less commonly début: a first appearance (made her singing debut, the writer's debut novel); also, to present to the public for the first time: introduce (debut a new product); also, a formal entrance into society (in honor of their daughter's debut); also, to make a first appearance or a formal entrance into society: to make a debutDEBUTED: or less commonly début: a first appearance (made her singing debut, the writer's debut novel); also, to present to the public for the first time: introduce (debut a new product); also, a formal entrance into society (in honor of their daughter's debut); also, to make a first appearance or a formal entrance into society: to make a debutDECO: often capitalized, often attributive: Art Deco, a popular design style of the 1920s and 1930s … named for French Art Déco, from Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an exposition … held in Paris, France, in 1925DENOUEMENT: or less commonly dénouement, the final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work; also, the outcome of a complex sequence of eventsDETENTE: détente: the relaxation of strained relations or tensions (as between nations); also a policy promoting this, or a period of détenteECLAT: M-W has éclat: ostentatious display: publicity; or dazzling effect: brilliance; or: brilliant or conspicuous success; or praise, applauseELAN: élan: vigorous spirit or enthusiasmENGAGE: engagé: committed to or supportive of a cause (adj.)EPEE: épée: a fencing or dueling sword having a bowl-shaped guard and a rigid blade of triangular section with no cutting edge that tapers to a sharp point blunted for fencing; also, the art or sport of fencing with the épéeETOUFFEE: étouffée: a Cajun stew of shellfish or chicken served over riceFIANCE: fiancé: a man engaged to be marriedFIANCEE: fiancée: a woman engaged to be marriedGATEAU: gâteau: food baked or served in the form of a cake, or a rich or fancy cakeGELEE: gelée: a cosmetic gel; also, a jellied food: an edible jellyGLACE: glacé: made or finished so as to have a smooth glossy surface (e.g., glacé silk); or, less commonly glacéed: coated with a glaze: candiedJETE: M-W has only jeté: a springing jump in ballet made from one foot to the other in any directionLAME: lamé: a brocaded clothing fabric made from any of various fibers combined with tinsel filling threadsMATE: maté or mate: a tealike beverage drunk especially in South America; also, a South American shrub or tree (Ilex paraguariensis) of the holly family whose leaves and shoots are used in making maté; also: these leaves and shootsMELANGE: M-W has mélange, a mixture often of incongruous elementsMELEE: M-W: or less commonly mêlée, a confused struggle especially: a hand-to-hand fight among several peopleMENAGE*: M-W has ménage, a domestic establishment: a householdNAIF: M-W has naïf (noun) a naïve person; also, (adj.) naïve: marked by unaffected simplicity: artless, ingenuous; also, deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially: credulous; also, self-taught, primitive; produced by or as if by a self-taught artistNAIVE: M-W has or naïve: marked by innocence or simplicity: artless, ingenuous; also, having or showing lack of experience or knowledge; also, not previously subjected to experimentation or a particular experimental situation; also, not having been exposed previously to an antigen; also, [of an artist] self-taught, primitive; also, produced by or as if by a self-taught artistNAIVELY: M-W has or naïvely, marked by unaffected simplicity: artless, ingenuous; also, deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; especially: credulous; also, self-taught, primitive; produced by or as if by a self-taught artistNAIVETE: M-W has or naïveté or less commonly naiveté: (adj.) the quality or state of being naïve; also, (noun) a naive remark or actionNEGLIGEE: or less commonly negligé, a woman's long flowing usually sheer dressing gown; also, carelessly informal or incomplete attirePATE: or more commonly pâté, a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat (chicken liver pâté), or a meat or fish pie or patty; or pâte, clay or a clay mixture used in making pottery or porcelainPAVE: pavé or pave, of jewels: set as close together as possible to conceal a metal basePINATA: variant of piñata, a decorated vessel (such as of papier-mâché) filled with candies, fruits, and gifts and hung up to be broken with sticks by blindfolded persons as part of especially Latin American festivities (as at Christmas or for a birthday party)PLIE: M-W has plié: a bending of the knees outward by a ballet dancer with the back held straightRAGU: or more commonly ragù, a hearty, seasoned Italian sauce of meat and tomatoes that is used chiefly in pasta dishes and that is typically made with ground beef, tomatoes, and finely chopped onions, celery, and carrotsTOUCHE: M-W has touché, interjection —used to acknowledge a hit in fencing or the success or appropriateness of an argument, an accusation, or a witty pointVOILA: M-W has voilà or voila —used to call attention, to express satisfaction or approval, or to suggest an appearance as if by magic