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lunatique

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

Mad, erratic, or governed by the moon; in older usage, a lunatic.

Detailed Definition
This is an older spelling of “lunatic,” and in earlier English it could suggest madness or unstable behavior. Donne uses it as a sharp address to someone whose feelings or promises change unpredictably.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Vaine lunatique, against these scapes I could” uses lunatique for a person thought governed by the moon or madness; “The lunatique wandered under a swollen moon” preserves the historical lunar association; “Call me no lunatique for hearing tides” lets the archaic word sound theatrical; Modern readers should note its older, often stigmatizing connection between mental disturbance and lunar change
Additional Notes
“Lunatique” is an archaic spelling that stands out as old and unfamiliar in modern reading.; Found in the poem, Woman's Constancy by John Donne
Also Known As
Lunatic Madcap Whimsical Eccentric
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