There are also several other marks, which are occasionally used for various purposes, as follow:—
I. ['] The APOSTROPHE usually denotes either the possessive case of a noun, or the elision of one or more letters of a word: as, "The girl's regard to her parents' advice;"—'gan, lov'd, e'en, thro'; for began, loved, even, through. It is sometimes used in pluralizing a mere letter or sign; as, Two a's—three 6's.[467]
II. [-] The HYPHEN connects the parts of many compound words, especially such as have two accents; as, ever-living. It is also frequently inserted where a word is divided into syllables; as, con-tem-plate. Placed at the end of a line, it shows that one or more syllables of a word are can led forward to the next line.
III. [">[ The DIÆRESIS, or DIALYSIS, placed over either of two contiguous vowels, shows that they are not a diphthong; as, Danäe, aërial.
IV. ['] The ACUTE ACCENT marks the syllable which requires the principal stress in pronunciation; as, e'qual, equal'ity. It is sometimes used in opposition to the grave accent, to distinguish a close or short vowel; as, "Fáncy:" (Murray:) or to denote the rising inflection of the voice; as, "Is it hé?"
V. [`] The GRAVE ACCENT is used in opposition to the acute, to distinguish an open or long vowel; as, "Fàvour:" (Murray:) or to denote the falling inflection of the voice; as, "Yès; it is hè" It is sometimes placed over a vowel to show that it is not to be suppressed in pronunciation; as,
"Let me, though in humble speech,
Thy refinèd maxims teach."—Amer. Review, May, 1848.
VI. [^] The CIRCUMFLEX generally denotes either the broad sound of a or an unusual sound given to some other vowel; as in âll, hêir, machîne. Some use it to mark a peculiar wave of the voice, and when occasion requires, reverse it; as, "If you said s=o, then I said sô."
VII. [~] The BREVE, or STENOTONE, is used to denote either the close, short, shut sound of a vowel, or a syllable of short quantity; as, l~ive, to have life,—r~av'en, to devour,[468]—c~al~am~us, a reed.
VIII. [=] The MACRON, or MACROTONE,[469] is used to denote either the open, long, primal sound of a vowel, or a syllable of long quantity; as, l=ive, having life,—r=a'ven, a bird,—=e'qu=ine, of a horse.