spondee etymology

Etymology:

• Ancient Greek: σπονδεῖος (spondeios), meaning "spondee"

Meaning:

A spondee is a metrical foot consisting of two long (stressed) syllables. It is the opposite of a pyrrhic foot, which consists of two short (unstressed) syllables.

Origin:

The term "spondee" originates from the Greek "spondeios," which was used to describe a type of metrical pattern that was used in the composition of liturgical hymns and choruses in ancient Greece. These hymns were often accompanied by a musical instrument called a "spondeion," which produced a slow and solemn sound. The slow and heavy nature of the spondee foot in poetry was likened to the sound of the spondeion, and hence the term "spondee" came to be used to describe this metrical pattern.

Examples:

• "Slow, the enchantment lulls me, softly sings" (from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe)
• "Bold was the chief whose steel in hand he drew" (from "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" by Lord Byron)

spondee relate terms

• iamb

  Etymology The word iamb comes from the Greek word iambos which refers to a type of

• iambic

  Etymology Greek iambos a foot consisting of a short and a long syllable Latin ia

• trochee

  Etymology The word trochee derives from the Greek word trochaios meaning running

• spondee

  Etymology Ancient Greek σπονδεῖος spondeios meaning spondee Meaning

• sponsor

  Etymology The word sponsor comes from the Latin word spondere which means to promis

• spondee

  Etymology Ancient Greek σπονδεῖος spondeios meaning spondee Meaning

• spouse

  Etymology Old French espous espuse Latin sponsus sponsa Proto Indo European spen

• correspond

  Etymology Origin Latin correspondēre Root com with together respondēre to

• respond

  Etymology From Old French respondre from Latin respondere from re back sp

• foot

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

• serve

  Etymology From Middle English serven from Old French servir from Latin servīre to

• charm

  Etymology Old French charme Latin carmen incantation spell song Proto Indo Euro

• conservation

  Etymology The word conservation comes from the Latin word conservare which means to

• cameo

  Etymology Italian cammeo Greek kamē gemstone engraved in relief Meaning and Orig

• warrant

  Etymology The word warrant originates from the Old French term warant which in turn

• intuition

  Etymology and Meaning Intuition comes from the Latin word intueri meaning to look i

• pagan

  Etymology The term pagan derives from the Latin word paganus meaning country dweller

• parliament

  Etymology The word parliament comes from the Old French word parlement which is der

• checkmate

  Etymology The word checkmate is derived from the Persian phrase shāh māt شاه م