noun
- A word or syllable that has the stress or accent on the final syllable.
Usage: linguistics; used in the study of ancient Greek and other languages
adjective
- Having stress or accent on the final syllable.
Usage: linguistics; used in the study of ancient Greek and other languages
Examples
- In ancient Greek, the word 'agapē' is an oxytone because the accent falls on the final syllable.
- The linguist explained that oxytone words have a distinctive stress pattern.
- Many French words are oxytone, with emphasis on the last syllable.
- Students of classical languages learn to identify oxytone, paroxytone, and proparoxytone words.
- The oxytone accent in Greek can change the meaning of a word.