Terms of Prosody
Acatalectic: complete, as a verse or a series of
feet (§ 612.
a).
Anaclasis: breaking up of rhythm by substituting
different measures.
Anacrusis: the unaccented syllable or syllables
preceding a verse (§ 608.
g）
Antistrophe: a series of verses corresponding to
one which has gone before (cf.
strophe).
Arsis: the unaccented part of a
foot (§ 611).
Basis: a single foot preceding the regular
movement of a verse.
Cæsura: the ending of a word within a
metrical foot (§ 611.
b).
Catalectic: see Catalexis.
Catalexis: loss of a final syllable (or
syllables) making the series
catalectic
(incomplete, § 612.
a).
Contraction: the use of one long syllable for
two short (§ 610).
Correption: shortening of a long syllable, for
metrical reasons.
Diœresis: the coincidence of the end
of a foot with the end of a word within the verse (§ 611.
c).
Dialysis: the use of
i (consonant)
and
v as vowels (
silüa = silva
, § 603.
f. N.4).
Diastole: the lengthening of a
short syllable by emphasis (§ 612.
b).
Dimeter: consisting of two like
measures.
Dipody: consisting of two like feet.
Distich: a system or series of two verses.
Ecthlipsis: the suppression of a
final syllable in
-m before
a
word beginning with a vowel (§ 612.
f.).
Elision: the cutting off of a final before a
following initial vowel (§ 612.
e).
Heptameter: consisting of seven feet.
Hexameter: consisting of six measures.
Hexapody: consisting of six feet.
Hiatus: the meeting of two vowels without
contraction or elision (§ 612.
g).
Ictus: the metrical accent
(§ 611.
a).
Irrational: not conforming strictly to the unit
of time (§ 609.
e).
Logaœdic: varying in rhythm, making
the effect resemble prose (§ 623).
Monometer: consisting of a single measure.
Mora: the unit of time, equal to
one short syllable (§ 608.
a).
Pentameter: consisting of five measures.
Pentapody: consisting of five feet.
Penthemimeris: consisting of
five
half-feet.
Protraction: extension of a syllable beyond its
normal length (608.
c).
Resolution: the use of two short syllables for
one long (§ 610).
Strophe: a series of verses making a recognized
metrical whole (
stanza), which may be indefinitely
repeated.
Synœresis:
i (vowel) and
u becoming consonants before a
vowel (§ 603.
c. N.,
f. N.4).
Synalœpha: the same as elision
(§ 612.
e. N.).
Synapheia: elision between two verses
(§ 612.
e. N.).
Syncope: loss of a short vowel.
Synizesis: the running together
of two vowels without full contraction (§ 603
c. N.).
Systole: shortening of a syllable regularly
long.
Tetrameter: consisting of four measures.
Tetrapody: consisting of four feet.
Tetrastich: a system of four verses.
Thesis: the accented part of a foot (§
611).
Trimeter: consisting of three measures.
Tripody: consisting of three feet.
Tristich: a system of three verses.
PART FIRST — WORDS AND FORMS
