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Label

Heraldic 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 horizontal strip with pendants used as a mark of cadency for an heir.

Detailed Definition
The label distinguishes the eldest son’s arms, marking inheritance while showing incompletion before succession. Poets favor the image for anticipation and generational continuity, where hope or promise hangs as an emblem of future ascendancy and deferred fulfillment.
Example
Example in poetry:
The label of three points marked the heir, hope suspended over the shield; “Label of expectation,” the verse described the firstborn’s burden; The poet wore a metaphorical label, cadet in the house of art; On the arms, the label argent signified purity of succession.
Additional Notes
Label is a mark of cadency for the first son, consisting of a horizontal bar with three (or more) downward pendants; it is also used in royal arms to distinguish heirs; in poetry, the label can symbolize expectation, burden of succession, or temporary distinction; note that the label is removed when the heir inherits the undifferenced arms.
Also Known As
Label of difference
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