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Latin hendecasyllable

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 11-syllable line used in Latin poetry, typically following a specific metrical pattern

Detailed Definition
Latin hendecasyllable is an 11-syllable line used in classical Latin poetry, particularly by Catullus and Martial, typically structured with a spondee or trochee in the first foot followed by dactyls and a final trochee, adapted into English as a flexible lyrical measure.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Catullus’s Poem 1, “Cui dono lepidum novum libellum…” follows the Latin hendecasyllable pattern (two trochees, a dactyl, two spondees); In Martial’s epigrams, “Hic est, quem legis, ille, quem requiris” uses hendecasyllabic rhythm; In modern English imitations, A.S. Kline’s translations preserve the 11-syllable count; In Horace’s “Odes,” some stanzas adapt hendecasyllables for lyrical variation.
Additional Notes
Latin hendecasyllable is an 11-syllable line used in classical Latin poetry (e.g., Catullus), typically with a specific metrical pattern; English adaptations approximate its fluidity—use for lyrical elegance or classical homage.
Also Known As
Eleven-syllable Latin line Catullan meter classical hendecasyllabic verse Roman lyric line Hendecasyllabic meter Horatian hendecasyllable
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