accent

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
accent

▶noun /ˈaks(ə)nt, -sɛnt/ 

• 1 a particular way of pronouncing a language, associated with a country, area, or social class.

• 2 an emphasis given to a syllable, word, or note in speech or music.

• 3 a special emphasis: the accent is on participation.

• 4 a mark on a letter or word indicating pitch, stress, or the quality of a vowel.

▶verb /akˈsɛnt/ 

• 1 (as adj. accented) spoken with a particular accent.

• 2 stress (a word, syllable, or note).

• 3 emphasize (a feature).

– derivatives
accentual adjective.

– origin ME: from L. accentus ‘tone, signal, or intensity’, translating Gk prosōidia ‘song, intonation’.