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Alcácer Quibir

Battles
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A 1578 Moroccan battle that killed Portugal's king and shattered an army.

Detailed Definition
The Battle of Alcácer Quibir, also called the Battle of the Three Kings, ended with the deaths of the Portuguese king Sebastian and two rival Moroccan rulers. Portugal's military disaster produced a succession crisis and the legend of Sebastian's return. In poetry, the battle offers images of vanished kings, sun-struck armies, and a national longing that turns defeat into prophecy and absence into political myth.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may mention Alcácer Quibir as a symbol of disastrous ambition and a king’s fatal expedition; “At Alcácer Quibir, the crowns went down,” could connect royal pride with catastrophe; A poem about a vanished leader might use the battle to evoke Portugal’s lost King Sebastian and the mystery surrounding his disappearance; The name can represent a dream of conquest ending in confusion, death, and national grief.
Additional Notes
Alcácer Quibir, also called the Battle of the Three Kings, took place in Morocco in 1578. Portugal’s King Sebastian and two Moroccan rulers died, and Portugal’s defeat contributed to a succession crisis. The term can suggest disastrous ambition, vanished kingship, and a battle remembered almost as legend.
Also Known As
Battle of Ksar el-Kebir Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin Battle of the Three Kings
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