Home › Glossary › Letter B

Brachycatalectic dactyl

Meter
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

A dactylic line shortened by omitting syllables in the final foot, resulting in a clipped, abrupt ending.

Detailed Definition
Brachycatalectic dactyl truncates the last dactylic foot (long-short-short) by removing one or more shorts, producing a line that halts on a long syllable, used in Latin elegies for pathos. Seen in Propertius' works, it conveys incompleteness or longing, influencing Renaissance sonnets. Poets choose this for its emotional weight, where the shortening mirrors themes of loss or interruption; in English adaptations, it adds gravitas to reflective verse, enhancing the sense of unresolved tension that drives narrative or lyrical depth.
Example
Example in poetry:
The brachycatalectic dactyl ( / u u - ) truncated appears in "Haste away" (brachycatalectic); "Run now fast" (truncated dactyl); "Fly on high" (brachycatalectic); "Sing with joy" (truncated dactyl); "Go now quick" (brachycatalectic dactyl); "Come and see" (truncated form).
Additional Notes
Brachycatalectic dactyl describes a dactylic line missing multiple syllables at the end, resulting in a severely clipped, abrupt close; this extreme shortening emphasizes finality or shock, often used for ironic or tragic effect.
Also Known As
Hypercatalectic dactyl severely shortened dactyl
Skip to main content