C

See also: c and Appendix:Variations of "c"

Translingual

Etymology 1

From Etruscan 𐌂 (C), from Greek Γ (G, “Gamma”), from Phoenician 𐤂 (G, “gimmel”).

Letter

C (lower case c)

1. The third letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

See also

• (Latin script):  Aa  Bb  Cc  Dd  Ee  Ff  Gg  Hh  Ii  Jj  Kk  Ll  Mm  Nn  Oo  Pp  Qq  Rr  Sſs  Tt  Uu  Vv  Ww  Xx  Yy  Zz
• (Variations of letter C):  Ćć  Ĉĉ  Čč  Ċċ  C̄c̄  Çç  Ḉḉ  Ȼȼ  Ƈƈ  ɕ  ᴄ  Ｃｃ
• (select other variations) Ƈ ₡ ₵ ₢
• Other scripts: Г (G, “ge”), ג (g, “gimel”)
• For more variations, see Appendix:Variations of "c".
• C on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

A standardization of Ɔ and C because the latter happens to be an abbreviation of Latin centum (“hundred”), from abbreviation of ƆIC, an alternate form of >I<, from tally stick markings resembling Ж (a superimposed X and I), from the practice of designating each tenth X notch with an extra cut.

Alternative forms

• c, LL, ll

Numeral

C (upper case Roman numeral, lower case c)

1. Roman numeral hundred (100)
2. the hundredth (100th)

Usage notes

With a bar over the numeral, i.e., as C, it represents one hundred thousand.

Derived terms

• English: c-note

See also

• Lesser roman numeral symbol: L (“50”)
• Greater roman numeral symbol: D (“500”)
• Roman numerals

Etymology 3

• (element symbol, carbon): abbreviation
• (metrology, coulomb): abbreviation
• (computing, hexadecimal 12): From its position as the twelfth element of the series {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F}

Symbol

C

1. (chemistry) Carbon.
2. (metrology) Symbol for the coulomb, an SI unit of electric charge.
3. (computing, hexadecimal) The digit for 12.

   0x0000000C

4. (genetics) IUPAC 1-letter abbreviation for any cytosine
5. (biochemistry) IUPAC 1-letter abbreviation for cysteine
6. (mathematics) differentiable class

   C¹ functions are differentiable once, and C² functions are twice differentiable

7. (mathematics) denotes the constant of integration

   $\int \cos x\,dx=\sin x+C$

8. (physics) capacitance

Gallery

• Letter styles
• 
  Capital and lowercase versions of C, in normal and italic type
• 
  Uppercase and lowercase C in Fraktur

See also

Other representations of C:

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English

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /siː/

Audio (UK)

(file)

• Rhymes: -iː

• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /s/, /k/, /tʃ/, /ks/, /ʃ/, ...
• Homophones: C, cee, sea, see

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c, plural Cs or C's)

1. The third letter of the English alphabet, called cee and written in the Latin script.
   • 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:

     Boxer could not get beyond the letter D. He would trace out A, B, C, D, in the dust with his great hoof […]

See also

• (Latin-script letters) letter; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

Number

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The ordinal number third, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called cee and written in the Latin script.

Symbol

C

1. A standard size of dry cell battery between A and D.
2. (music) Guitar chord – C – Played 0 1 0 2 3 0.
3. (entomology) 1-letter abbreviation for costa

Noun

C (plural Cs)

1. (slang) $100; a c-note.
2. (music) The first note in the C chromatic and major scales.
3. An academic grade better than a D and worse than a B.
4. (Unicode) Canonical Decomposition, followed by Canonical Composition
5. (slang) Cocaine.
   • 1945, William Burroughs, letter, 24 Jul 1945:

     Where did you secure the C? My own supply is utterly depleted.

6. Abbreviation of consonant.
7. (UK, politics, in election results) Conservative

Hyponyms

• (music): high C, middle C

Related terms

• (in Unicode): D, KC, KD, NF

Derived terms

• NFC

Etymology 2

The programming language is so named because it followed on from an earlier language called B.

Proper noun

C

2. (programming) A particular high-level programming language from which many others are derived.
   • 1995, Gary Wolf, "The Curse of Xanadu", Wired Magazine

     The PDP-11, from the Digital Equipment Corporation, was a coveted machine. It was the original computer to run a new programming language called C, which was on its way to becoming the hackers' standard. Gregory, as it happened, didn't have any spare PDP-11s at his disposal. But the repairman took the opportunity to question some of Nelson's blithe predictions in Computer Lib, and Nelson, in response, unleashed his glib and bitter tirade against the conservative ignoramuses in the computer business.

3. (British) Head of the Secret Intelligence Service.
4. (stock ticker symbol) Symbol for the company Citigroup Inc on the NYSE

Hyponyms

(programming language): Objective-C

Derived terms

• C++, C plus plus
• C--, C minus minus

Related terms

• C major, C minor
• C sharp, C#, C♯
• BCPL

Translations

Programming language

• Finnish: C (fi)
• French: C (fr) m, langage C m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: C (ja) (C), C言語 (C gengo)

musical note

• Finnish: c (fi)
• French: do (fr) m, ut (fr) m
• Italian: do (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ハ (ja) (ha)
• Korean: 다 (ko) (da)
• Russian: до (ru) (do)

References

• Unicode Consortium, Unicode Standard Annex #15, revision 41 (2014-06-05), § 1.2, table 1: “Normalization Forms”

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American Sign Language

Etymology

French Sign Language letter C

From the French Sign Language sign for the letter C.

Production

This one-handed ASL sign is produced as follows:

• Posture the dominant hand in the “C” shape .

Letter

(Stokoe C)

1. The letter C

See also

• Index:American Sign Language/C

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Azerbaijani

Letter

C upper case (lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Azerbaijani alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) hərf; A a, B b, C c, Ç ç, D d, E e, Ə ə, F f, G g, Ğ ğ, H h, X x, I ı, İ i, J j, K k, Q q, L l, M m, N n, O o, Ö ö, P p, R r, S s, Ş ş, T t, U u, Ü ü, V v, Y y, Z z

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /se/

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Catalan alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) lletra; A a, À à, B b, C c, Ç ç, D d, E e, É é, È è, F f, G g, H h, I i, Í í, Ï ï, J j, K k, L l (L·L l·l), M m, N n, O o, Ó ó, Ò ò, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, Ú ú, Ü ü, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /s/, /k/, /x/, /ks/, /ʃ/, ...
• (letter name): IPA^(key): /seː/

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Dutch alphabet, called cee and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) letter; A a (Á á, Ä ä), B b, C c, D d, E e (É é, Ë ë), F f, G g, H h, I i (Í í, Ï ï, IJ ij), J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o (Ó ó, Ö ö), P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u (Ú ú, Ü ü), V v, W w, X x, Y y (Ý ý), Z z

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Esperanto

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA^(key): /tso/
• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ts/

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Esperanto alphabet, called co and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) litero; A a, B b, C c, Ĉ ĉ, D d, E e, F f, G g, Ĝ ĝ, H h, Ĥ ĥ, I i, J j, Ĵ ĵ, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, R r, S s, Ŝ ŝ, T t, U u, Ŭ ŭ, V v, Z z

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Estonian

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Estonian alphabet, called tsee and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

• Used only in foreign words.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) täht; A a, B b (C c), D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p (Q q), R r, S s, Š š, Z z, Ž ž, T t, U u, V v (W w), Õ õ, Ä ä, Ö ö, Ü ü (X x, Y y)

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Finnish

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Finnish alphabet, called see and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

• Used only in loanwords. In more established loanwords replaced with k or s.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) kirjain; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s (Š š), T t, U u, V v (W w), X x, Y y, Z z (Ž ž), Å å, Ä ä, Ö ö

Noun

C

1. Abbreviation of cum laude approbatur.

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tseː/

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the German alphabet, called ce and written in the Latin script.

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German Sign Language

Etymology

French Sign Language letter C

Compare the French and American Sign Language signs for the letter C, which are identical.

Production

This one-handed GSL sign is produced as follows:

• Posture the dominant hand in the “C” shape.

Letter

1. the letter C

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Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ts/

Letter

C (lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Ido alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) litero; A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

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Italian

Pronunciation

• (name of letter) IPA^(key): /tʃi/
• Homophone: ci
• (phoneme) IPA^(key): /k/
• (phoneme, before "e" or "i") IPA^(key): /tʃ/

Letter

C m or f (invariable, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Italian alphabet, called ci and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) lettera; A a (À à), B b, C c, D d, E e (É é, È è), F f, G g, H h, I i (Í í, Ì ì, Πî, J j, K k), L l, M m, N n, O o (Ó ó, Ò ò), P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u (Ú ú, Ù ù), V v (W w, X x, Y y), Z z
• Italian alphabet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (phoneme): (Classical) IPA^(key): /k/, [k]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /k/, [k]
• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ɡ/, [ɡ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ɡ/, [ɡ]

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Latin alphabet, written in the Latin script.

References

• “C”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• C in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “C”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

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Latvian

Etymology

Proposed in 1908 as part of the new Latvian spelling by the scientific commission headed by K. Mīlenbahs, which was accepted and began to be taught in schools in 1909. Prior to that, Latvian had been written in German Fraktur, and sporadically in Cyrillic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ts]

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

C

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The fourth letter of the Latvian alphabet, called cē and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) burts; A a, Ā ā, B b, C c, Č č, D d, E e, Ē ē, F f, G g, Ģ ģ, H h, I i, Ī ī, J j, K k, Ķ ķ, L l, Ļ ļ, M m, N n, Ņ ņ, O o, P p, R r, S s, Š š, T t, U u, Ū ū, V v, Z z, Ž ž

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Malay

Pronunciation

• (Name of letter) IPA^(key): [si]
• (Phoneme) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃ]

Letter

C

1. The third letter of the Malay alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

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Portuguese

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Portuguese alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) letra; A a (Á á, À à,  â, àã), B b, C c (Ç ç), D d, E e (É é, Ê ê), F f, G g, H h, I i (Í í), J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o (Ó ó, Ô ô, Õ õ), P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u (Ú ú), V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʃe/

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The fifth letter of the Romanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

When followed by the letters i or e, this letter represents the phoneme /tʃ/, as in cel /tʃel/ (the) and citesc /tʃi'tesk/ (I read). When followed by "hi" or "he" (chi & che) and in all other cases, it represents /k/.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) A a, Ă ă,  â, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, Πî, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, Ș ș, T t, Ț ț, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z

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Saanich

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k̟/

Letter

C

1. The fifth letter of the Saanich alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) A, Á, Ⱥ, B, C, Ć, Ȼ, D, E, H, I, Í, J, K, Ꝁ, Ꝃ, ₭, Ḵ, Ḱ, L, Ƚ, M, N, Ṉ, O, P, Q, S, Ś, T, Ⱦ, Ṯ, Ŧ, U, W, W̱, X, X̱, Y, Z, s, ,

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Skolt Sami

Pronunciation

• (phoneme) IPA^(key): /t͡s/

Letter

C (lower case c)

1. The fourth letter of the Skolt Sami alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) bukva; A a,  â, B b, C c, Č č, Ʒ ʒ, Ǯ ǯ, D d, Đ đ, E e, F f, G g, Ǧ ǧ, Ǥ ǥ, H h, I i, J j, K k, Ǩ ǩ, L l, M m, N n, Ŋ ŋ, O o, Õ õ, P p, R r, S s, Š š, T t, U u, V v, Z z, Ž ž, Å å, Ä ä, ʹ

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Slovene

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Slovene alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) čŕka; A a, B b, C c, Č č, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, R r, S s, Š š, T t, U u, V v, Z z, Ž ž

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Somali

Pronunciation

• (phoneme): IPA^(key): /ʕ/
• (letter name): IPA^(key): /ʕæɪ̯n/

Letter

C upper case (lower case c)

1. The twelfth letter of the Somali alphabet, called cayn and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

1. The twelfth letter of the Somali alphabet, which follows Arabic abjad order. It is preceded by DH and followed by G.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) ʼ, B b, T t, J j, X x, Kh kh, D d, R r, S s, Sh sh, Dh dh, C c, G g, F f, Q q, K k, L l, M m, N n, W w, H h, Y y, A a, E e, I i, O o, U u

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Spanish

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Spanish alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Noun

C m

1. (chess) Abbreviation of caballo.; K (knight)

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Turkish

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Turkish alphabet, called ce and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) harf; A a, B b, C c, Ç ç, D d, E e, F f, G g, Ğ ğ, H h, I ı, İ i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, Ö ö, P p, R r, S s, Ş ş, T t, U u, Ü ü, V v, Y y, Z z

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [se˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [sej˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [sej˧˧]
• Phonetic: xê

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The fifth letter of the Vietnamese alphabet, called xê and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Quốc ngữ letters) chữ cái; A a (À à, Ả ả, àã, Á á, Ạ ạ), Ă ă (Ằ ằ, Ẳ ẳ, Ẵ ẵ, Ắ ắ, Ặ ặ),  â (Ầ ầ, Ẩ ẩ, Ẫ ẫ, Ấ ấ, Ậ ậ), B b, C c (Ch ch), D d, Đ đ, E e (È è, Ẻ ẻ, Ẽ ẽ, É é, Ẹ ẹ), Ê ê (Ề ề, Ể ể, Ễ ễ, Ế ế, Ệ ệ), G g (Gh gh, Gi gi), H h, I i (Ì ì, Ỉ ỉ, Ĩ ĩ, Í í, Ị ị), K k (Kh kh), L l, M m, N n (Ng ng, Ngh ngh, Nh nh), O o (Ò ò, Ỏ ỏ, Õ õ, Ó ó, Ọ ọ), Ô ô (Ồ ồ, Ổ ổ, Ỗ ỗ, Ố ố, Ộ ộ), Ơ ơ (Ờ ờ, Ở ở, Ỡ ỡ, Ớ ớ, Ợ ợ), P p (Ph ph), Q q (Qu qu), R r, S s, T t (Th th, Tr tr), U u (Ù ù, Ủ ủ, Ũ ũ, Ú ú, Ụ ụ), Ư ư (Ừ ừ, Ử ử, Ữ ữ, Ứ ứ, Ự ự), V v, X x, Y y (Ỳ ỳ, Ỷ ỷ, Ỹ ỹ, Ý ý, Ỵ ỵ)

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Zulu

Letter

C (upper case, lower case c)

1. The third letter of the Zulu alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin-script letters) A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g, H h, I i, J j, K k, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p, Q q, R r, S s, T t, U u, V v, W w, X x, Y y, Z z