Home › Glossary › Letter B

Bordure

Heraldic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

In heraldry, a decorative border encircling the edge of a shield, often charged with symbolic patterns or tinctures.

Detailed Definition
The bordure frames the shield, often symbolizing protection or honor. In poetry, it may serve as a metaphor for boundaries, containment, or external forces enclosing a subject.
Example
Example in poetry:
A bordure compony of azure and argent framed the shield like a border of song; The poet’s grief wore a bordure of tears around the joy once held within; “Bordured by time,” the memory remained intact though the center faded; The bordure of roses signified the family’s enduring grace through generations.
Additional Notes
Bordure is a border enclosing the shield, often used for cadency or to differentiate branches of a family; it can be charged or divided; in verse, a bordure may symbolize containment, heritage, or distinction; when impaled or quartered arms include a bordure, it typically surrounds only one half, showing nuanced familial ties.
Also Known As
Border
Skip to main content