Brailles

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Raised dot patterns used as a tactile writing system for visually impaired individuals ; embossments on paper or surfaces representing letters and numbers for reading by touch ; a coding method employing small raised bumps to facilitate literacy and communication for those with visual disabilities
2. Tactile characters composed of raised dots enabling blind people to read text ; embossed symbols arranged in cells that correspond to letters and numbers in a touch-readable format ; a sensory alphabet shaped by elevated points to convey written language to visually challenged readers
3. A system of embossed bumps forming a tactile language for those unable to see ; patterns of raised dots representing written content for touch-based reading ; an alternative script utilizing textured configurations to assist blind or visually impaired individuals in reading and writing

Etymology: "Brailles" is the plural of "braille", so it refers to more than one braille system or more than one instance of braille writing. The singular "braille" is borrowed from French and named after Louis Braille (1809–1852), the French educator who developed the raised-dot system while himself blind. He was a pupil at the Paris institute for blind children, and the code he devised there was based on a military night-writing method, but he refined it into the six-dot cell still used today. The English pronunciation, with the vowel of "rail", is a spelling pronunciation. French speakers say the name closer to "bra-yuh", so the English sound drifted away from the original French. The word is a proper name that became a common noun, and the plural "brailles" follows the usual English pattern for nouns.