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germane

Diction
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

Germane means directly relevant, closely related, or appropriate to the matter under discussion, rather than merely loosely connected.

Detailed Definition
This is a formal, somewhat literary word meaning closely related or appropriate. Dowson uses it to suggest that the speaker's melancholy belongs naturally with the stars and the madman's inward world.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Make his melancholy germane to the stars” means make it relevant or closely related; Germane derives from the idea of kinship or belonging; Shakespeare uses it to connect private feeling with cosmic order; A modern line: “The question is germane to every voter.”
Additional Notes
The word "germane" in the quoted line is a formal literary term that many modern readers may not know.; Found in the poem, To One in Bedlam by Ernest Dowson
Also Known As
relevant pertinent applicable
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