[As adj., ad. L. circumflex-us bent about, pa. pple. of circumflectĕre; as applied to the accent, it translated Gr. περισπώμεν-ος, lit. ‘drawn around,’ in reference to its shape. The sb. is partly an absolute use of the adj., partly (senses 2, 3) repr. L. circumflexu-s a bending round.]
A. adj.
1. Gram. A word meaning literally ‘bent round’ applied to an accent-mark ^, ͂, or ˜, placed, originally in Greek, over long vowels having a particular accent or ‘tone’ (see ACCENT 1); and thence transferred to other languages as a mark of length, of contraction, or of a particular variety of long vowel. Sometimes also applied to the tone, quantity or quality indicated by this mark.
The Greek περισπώμενος was used by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, B.C. 30 (περισπώμεναι λέξεις). According to Arcadius περὶ τόνων (c. 200 A.D.), prob. copying Herodian (c. 150 A.D.), the sign and name are both attributed to Aristophanes of Byzantium (c. 264 B.C.). The original mark is said to have been ^ a combination of ´ and `, and hence called ὸξυβάρεια, for which however Aristophanes is said to have substituted ͂ to avoid confusion of ^ with Lambda (Λ). This statement proves at least that the rounded form was the common one c. 200. In our oldest accented texts (7–9th c.) both forms ^ and ͂ exist, but the rounded form prevailed, and by later scribes was turned up with a flourish, thus ˜.
The Latin grammarians of 2–3d c. call the mark circumflexus, and generally agree as to its shape being ^ (exc. Capella who used ͂); but it was not actually used in writing Latin till modern times, when sometimes introduced to indicate contraction as in amârunt for amaverunt, or in the ablative sing. in -â. In recent times also it has been introduced in French to mark a long vowel, chiefly due to contraction, as in bête from beste. The circumflex used in normalized printing of Old High German, and other Teutonic langs., to express long quantity, originated in an acute accent ´ (as in O.E.), which being thus made ′, has been confounded with the Romanized form of the circumflex.
In modern English use the mark has no definite value, but is variously used by orthoepists or phonetists to mark long quantity, ‘broad’ quality, or the like.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Wks. (1587), D j b. The grave accent is marked by this caract ′, the light accent is noted thus `, and the circumflex, or indifferent is thus signified ͂.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. vi. [vii.] (Arb.), 92. Called the circumflex, or compast accent: and if new termes were not odious, we might very properly call him the (windabout) for so is the Greek word.
c. 1620. A. Hume, Brit. Tongue (1865), 22. The circumflex accent both liftes and felles the syllab that it possesseth, and combynes the markes of other tuae, thus ^.
1871. Roby, Lat. Gram., I. xiii. 98. The Romans distinguish between an acute and a circumflex accent.
2. Bent or bending round; † circuitous.
1707. J. Stevens, trans. Quevedo’s Com. Wks. (1709), 187. I … took a circumflex Road.
1728. Swift, Discovery. With a congee circumflex, Bush, smiling round on all retreats.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 42. Embryo hooked, folded or circumflex.
3. Anat. Applied to certain structures of curved or winding form, or which bend round others; as the circumflex arteries of the arm (anterior and posterior c. a.), of the thigh (internal and external), of the knee; the circumflex iliac artery and vein; the circumflex nerve of the arm; the circumflex muscle of the palate, or tensor palati.
1831. R. Knox, Cloquet’s Anat., 684. The thoracic and circumflex arteries.
1836–9. Todd, Cycl. Anat., II. 247/1. The internal circumflex artery is a larger vessel than the external.
1842. E. Wilson, Anat. Vade Mec., 422. The Branches of the circumflex nerve are muscular and cutaneous.
1881. Mivart, Cat, 278. From the same two nerves there arise the circumflex and the subscapular nerves.
B. sb.
1. Gram. A circumflex accent (sign): see A. 1.
1609. Douland, Ornith. Microl., 70. The Circumflex is that, by which a sillable first raised is carried low.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Circumflex is that mark, which is used over the letter (a) in … Amâsti for Amavisti.
1711. J. Greenwood, Eng. Gram., 240. It would not be amiss if the long i were always mark’d with a Circumflex … thus î.
1883. March, Comp. Gram. Anglo-Sax., § 12. In this book … a circumflex is used over all long vowels and diphthongs.
† b. fig. Obs.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., iii. (1669), 79/2. This accents the … unholiness of a Saint with a circumflex.
† 2. Bending round, winding, curve, a curved line.
1601. W. Parry, Trav. Sir A. Sherley, 24. Every letter (well neere) with his circumflex importeth a whole word.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv. (1663), 5. A Cypher and Character so contrived, that one line, without returns and circumflexes, stands for each and every of the 24. letters.
1709. Tatler, No. 7, ¶ 16. The Circumflex, which Persons of his Profession take in their Walking.
1773. J. Ross, Fratricide, iii. 928. This terrene Shook with concussive circumflex most dread.
3. A curved line, ( or {, bracketing two or more lines of writing. ? Obs.
1801. F. Thesiger, in Nicolas, Disp. Nelson (1846), VII. Introd. 208. Those Line-of-Battle Ships … within the circumflex were boarded by me in the following order.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xxviii. (1854), 231. The limbs of two broken arcs … stretching like circumflexes at about 23° distance on each side of the moon.
