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lo

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

Look! Behold! (used to call attention)—an interjection directing focus, often introducing a striking image or revelation.

Detailed Definition
“Lo” commands visual focus, common in biblical and prophetic poetry. It introduces revelation or marvel—“lo, the angel.” The monosyllable’s openness creates awe. Poets use it to mark divine intervention, sudden beauty, or dramatic turn, where perception shifts instantly, reinforcing themes of wonder, fate, and epiphany.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Lo! The dawn breaks in golden fire,” begins a prophetic ode; In biblical poetry: “Lo, I am with you always”; “Lo, the rose unfolds at last,” a carpe diem line; Shakespeare’s sonnets: “Lo, thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind”; “Lo, the stranger bears a sword and a scroll”; Lo! The child points to the star.
Additional Notes
“Lo” arrests attention with sudden revelation (“Lo, I come!”); in prophetic or dramatic verse, it marks epiphanies, divine appearances, or turning points, functioning as a rhetorical spotlight in narrative.
Also Known As
behold see look
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