The Unicode character for what is commonly referred to as an "upside down circumflex" is the Caron, which has the Unicode value U+02C7.
Understanding the Caron (ˇ)
The character often described as an "upside down circumflex" or "upside down arrowhead" is formally known as the Caron. This distinct diacritic mark plays a significant role in various languages and phonetic transcriptions.
Appearance and Terminology
The Caron (ˇ) appears as a small, inverted circumflex or a v-shape placed above a letter. While "upside down circumflex" is a descriptive term, its official name is Caron. It is also sometimes referred to as a "háček" (from Czech, meaning "little hook").
Unicode Details
The Caron character is precisely defined within the Unicode standard, ensuring its consistent representation across different digital platforms and fonts.
| Name | Character | Unicode Code Point | HTML Entity (Decimal) | HTML Entity (Hexadecimal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caron | ˇ | U+02C7 |
ˇ |
ˇ |
Usage as a Diacritic
The primary function of the Caron is as a diacritic mark, which means it modifies the sound or pronunciation of the letter it accompanies. It is widely used in:
- Slavic Languages:
- In languages like Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Bosnian, and Slovene, the Caron indicates palatalization or a changed pronunciation of consonants (e.g.,
š,č,ž). - In Czech and Slovak, it also modifies vowels (e.g.,
ě,ř).
- In languages like Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Bosnian, and Slovene, the Caron indicates palatalization or a changed pronunciation of consonants (e.g.,
- Baltic Languages: Used in Lithuanian for specific sounds.
- Finno-Ugric Languages: Found in some Sami languages.
- Uralic Phonetic Alphabet (UPA): Utilized for phonetic transcription.
- Romanian: On letters
șandț.
For example, the letter 's' with a Caron becomes š, representing a "sh" sound, as heard in words like "šerpa." Similarly, 'c' with a Caron, č, often represents a "ch" sound.
To learn more about the Caron character and its properties in Unicode, you can refer to comprehensive Unicode character databases like Compart's Unicode resource for U+02C7.
