Home › Glossary › Letter H

Hendecadactyl

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

An exceedingly rare metrical line composed of eleven dactylic feet, noted more for theoretical interest than common usage.

Detailed Definition
Hendecadactyl is a metrical line consisting of eleven dactylic feet (DUM-da-da), an exceptionally long and rare form that creates a rolling, incantatory rhythm; though seldom used in English, it appears in experimental or parodic contexts to evoke epic grandeur, hypnotic repetition, or deliberate excess, challenging conventional notions of line length and breath control.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hendecadactyl (11-dactyl line) appears in Greek satyr plays; rare in English, but Swinburne mimics it in “Atalanta in Calydon” for rhythmic excess; modern formalist A.M. Juster adapts it in neo-Latin verse; hendecadactyl creates galloping, ecstatic rhythm; it’s suited to bacchic or frenzied themes; this line emphasizes sonic abundance over semantic clarity.

Hendeadactylic: Rare 11-syllable line: “Over the mountains the slow moon climbs” (Greek-inspired); “Eleven beats for the wandering soul” (experimental); “Whispers echo in hendeadactylic time” (student); “Not common in English, but haunting when used” (didactic)
Additional Notes
A metrical line consisting of eleven syllables, often associated with classical Greek and Roman poetry; the specific rhythm can vary (e.g., hendecasyllable in Sapphic or Alcaic stanzas).

Having eleven fingers/toes. Applied to verse: 11-syllable or 11-beat lines. Related: hendecasyllabic, meter. Rare technical term—study: why "finger" metaphor.
Also Known As
hendecasyllable eleven-syllable meter Italian hendecasyllabic hendecadactylic line Hendeadactylic Imaginary dialogue Eleven-fingered Eleven-digit measure Greek eleven-count
Skip to main content