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anno domini

Latin Phrases
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

Meaning “in the year of the Lord,” it marks years in the Christian calendar. It signals sacred historical reckoning.

Detailed Definition
Anno Domini situates events within a Christian temporal framework, aligning human history with divine chronology. Poets may employ it to evoke solemnity, faith, or irony regarding sacred time. The phrase lends liturgical resonance, reminding readers of the cultural weight of religious dating and its shaping of Western historical imagination.
Example
Example in poetry:
A historical poem may date an event anno domini to evoke sacred chronology; A medieval-style ballad could begin with a year anno domini to set tone; A satirical poem might ironically mark a trivial event anno domini; A devotional lyric may contrast pagan time with years counted anno domini.
Additional Notes
Anno Domini situates events within a Christian temporal framework, reinforcing sacred history and religious authority. In poetry, its use can create medieval or liturgical tone, or it may be employed ironically to question spiritual certainties. Students should note how dating systems shape cultural perception of time and how invoking anno domini situates a poem within Western historical consciousness.
Other Meanings of “anno domini”
Also Known As
A.D. Year of Our Lord
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