Question regarding accent marks.

[Lumen_et_umbra]

What do the accute and grave acent marks indicate? I do not refer to those that govern breathing sounds (i.e., smooth-breathing and rough breathing). Also, what do the circumflex and the wierd half-circle thing indicate?

[mingshey]

(I'm a novice myself, so do not swallow my words.)<br />Smyth explains that accute is a "rising" tone (greek is said to have tones, rather than stresses as Latin does), grave "falling", and circumflex "rising and then followed by falling" tones.<br />(Chinese pronunciation signs have similar accent system.)<br />You can find some samples here:<br />http://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agp/<br />By "wierd half-circle thing", if you don't mean it "circumflex" I have no idea what you mean. (A circumflex over the breathing sign???)