dactyl etymology

Etymology:

• Greek "daktulos" ("finger")

Meaning:

• A digit on the hand or foot
• A small, finger-like projection or appendage
• A unit of measurement approximately equal to the length of a finger (3.75 inches)
• A type of poem with a specific metrical pattern (see below)

Origin:

The word "dactyl" has its roots in ancient Greek. "Daktulos" originally meant "finger" or "toe." The term was later used to describe a metrical foot in poetry, specifically a three-syllable foot with a long syllable followed by two short syllables (e.g., "long-SHORT-short"). The dactylic foot was commonly used in epic poetry, such as Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey."

In other contexts, the term "dactyl" is used to refer to finger-like projections or appendages, such as the dactyls of a feather or the dactyls on the feet of certain insects. It is also used as a unit of measurement, though this usage is less common today.

Examples of Dactyls in Poetry:

• "All night I heard the tolling of the bells" (Alfred Tennyson, "In Memoriam")
• "Break, break, break, on thy cold gray stones, O Sea!" (Alfred Tennyson, "Break, Break, Break")
• "The world is too much with us; late and soon" (William Wordsworth, "The World is Too Much with Us")

dactyl relate terms

• dactylic

  Etymology Greek daktylos finger Meaning A dactyl is a poetic foot or rhythmic

• dactyl

  Etymology Greek daktulos finger Meaning A digit on the hand or foot A small

• polydactylism

  Etymology poly Greek many dactyl Greek finger or toe ism suffix

• poly

  Etymology The word poly comes from the Greek word polys which means many Meaning

• dactyl

  Etymology Greek daktulos finger Meaning A digit on the hand or foot A small

• digit

  Etymology The word digit derives from the Latin digitus meaning finger or toe

• pentameter

  Etymology Pentameter comes from the Greek words pente five and metron measure M

• nail

  Etymology The word nail has multiple etymological origins Germanic nagul or nagl n

• finger

  Etymology The word finger is derived from several ancient Proto Indo European roots

• fringe

  Etymology The word fringe comes from the Middle English word fringe which in turn d

• phalanx

  Etymology Greek phalanks φάλαγξ Meaning A close ordered military formati

• member

  Etymology The word member is derived from the Old French word membre which in turn

• foot

  Etymology The word foot derives from the Old English word fot which is of Germanic o

• extremity

  Etymology The word extremity comes from the Latin word extremitas which means oute