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Per bend

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

Division of the shield diagonally from top left to bottom right.

Detailed Definition
This partition symbolizes division and resolution. Poets use it to reflect conflict, transition, or the joining of different elements.
Example
Example in poetry:
Per bend, the shield divided diagonally, like fate cutting across life’s field; “Per bend, my fortune,” the sonnet traced joy and sorrow in opposing triangles; The poet saw the mountain slope as per bend, nature’s own heraldic division; In arms of bastardy, per bend sinister carried stigma, but poets reclaimed it as resilience; Per bend azure and or suggested balance between wisdom and wealth.
Additional Notes
Per bend means the shield is divided diagonally from dexter chief to sinister base; it creates two contrasting fields; in verse, per bend division can imply dynamic action, inheritance, or directional fate; note that charges placed “in bend” follow this diagonal, while “per bend” describes the field itself.
Also Known As
Diagonally divided (dexter to sinister)
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