Tilde: meaning, definitions and examples
̃
tilde
[ ˈtɪl.də ]
writing symbol
A tilde is a diacritical mark used in various languages to indicate a modification of a letter, such as the nasalization of a vowel in Spanish. It is represented by a small wavy line (˜) placed above a letter, most commonly the letter 'n' in the Spanish word 'señor'. Tildes can also have other functions in mathematics and logic, such as representing approximation. In computing, the tilde often denotes home directories or is used for various programming syntaxes.
Synonyms
accent mark, diacritic, tilde sign.
Examples of usage
- The Spanish word 'mañana' features a tilde over the 'n'.
- In URLs, a tilde is often used to indicate the home directory of a user.
- In logic, a tilde can denote negation.
- In mathematics, a tilde may indicate approximation, such as 'x ~ y'.
Translations
Translations of the word "tilde" in other languages:
🇵🇹 til
🇮🇳 तिल्दे
🇩🇪 Tilde
🇮🇩 tilde
🇺🇦 тильда
🇵🇱 tylda
🇯🇵 ティルダ
🇫🇷 tilde
🇪🇸 tilde
🇹🇷 tilde
🇰🇷 틸드
🇸🇦 تيلدا
🇨🇿 tilde
🇸🇰 tilde
🇨🇳 波浪符
🇸🇮 tilde
🇮🇸 tilda
🇰🇿 тильда
🇬🇪 ტილდა
🇦🇿 tilde
🇲🇽 tilde
Etymology
The word 'tilde' comes from the Spanish word 'tilde', which itself derives from the Latin word 'titulus', meaning 'title' or 'inscription'. The use of the tilde in languages such as Spanish began in medieval manuscripts, where scribes used the mark to indicate that a letter was to be nasalized or that certain phonetic changes had to be applied. Its shape evolved from the 'n' letter being abbreviated, with the tilde symbolizing the omitted 'n'. Over time, the tilde became widely accepted in typography and linguistics to represent various grammatical and phonetic processes. Today, the tilde serves significant roles in computer science, mathematics, and various programming languages, illustrating the mark's versatility and enduring relevance across disciplines.