accent

Where does the word "accent" come from? It comes from Latin canere, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Accent’s story begins in Latin: canere meant “to sing.” To sing, giving rise to cantus (a song, a tone). Within Latin, it grew into accentus by ancient. A tone added to speech, from ad- (to) and cantus (song). From there it passed into Old French as accent by medieval. Carried into French for a distinctive way of pronouncing words. It reached English by 1300s as accent. Settled as the English word for a distinctive way of pronouncing speech. Today, accent means a distinctive way of pronouncing words, associated with a country, region, or social group.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient canere "to sing", to sing, giving rise to cantus (a song, a tone).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient accentus "a tone added to speech", a tone added to speech, from ad- (to) and cantus (song).
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval accent "a distinctive way of pronouncing words", carried into French for a distinctive way of pronouncing words.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s accent "a distinctive way of pronouncing words, associated with a region or group", settled as the English word for a distinctive way of pronouncing speech.