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jape

Archaic Terms
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

A trick, joke, or jest intended to deceive or mock; implies playful deception or ridicule, often used in satirical or comedic verse to describe pranks or mockery.

Detailed Definition
“Jape” implies playful or cruel deception—courtly jests or divine mockery. In poetry, it appears in satire or existential doubt (“life’s jape”). The term’s lightness suits irony. Poets use it to question reality’s stability, where laughter masks pain or fate toys with mortals, reinforcing themes of illusion, folly, or cosmic indifference.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He japed at solemn rites, earning scorn,” in a moral tale; In Chaucer: “Full jolly was he, and loved a jape”; “The court japed, but the wise wept,” a contrast in perception; “Jape not at another’s misfortune,” warns a proverbial lyric; “Her jape hid a barb of truth”; The fool’s jape often speaks wisdom.
Additional Notes
“Jape” implies mocking deception, not harmless fun; in satirical or courtly poetry, it critiques flattery or false appearances, often warning that “japes” conceal malice beneath laughter.
Also Known As
jest mock trick
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