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Ionic a minore

Meter
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

An ionic foot starting with short syllables (short-short-long-long), for lighter, dancing rhythms.

Detailed Definition
Ionic a minore features the minor ionic pattern, common in Greek choral lyrics for joyful movement, as in Alcman's partheneia. It lightens tone; poets use it for celebratory odes, where the upbeat start evokes festivity in ancient and neoclassical verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ionic a minore (u u / /) appears in classical and imitative meters, as in "Sing to me, Muse, of the wrath divine" (first two syllables light, then double stress); "Swift-footed Achilles, son of Peleus" (u u / / pattern); "Now the storm winds gather and howl" (ionic a minore rhythm); "Hear the loud timbrels, the dancing feet" (u u / / structure); "Bring forth the wine and the lyre sweet" (ionic a minore cadence); "Let the song rise from the heart's deep core" (u u / / foot).
Additional Notes
Ionic a minore features the ionic foot (ᴗ ᴗ – –), beginning with two shorts; this light, skipping rhythm contrasts with heavier meters and appears in lyrics seeking grace or playfulness.
Also Known As
Ionic dimeter minor ionic
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