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Pherecratean

Foot
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 classical Aeolic meter of four feet: – ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – –

Detailed Definition
The Pherecratean is a seven-syllable Aeolic metrical pattern (– ˘ ˘ – ˘ ˘ – –) used in ancient Greek choral poetry, particularly by Pherecrates; its intricate alternation of long and short syllables creates a lilting, songlike quality, and though nearly absent in English, it appears in scholarly prosody as an example of non-dactylic, non-iambic classical complexity.
Example
Example in poetry:
The Pherecratean meter (glyconic variant: x x – u u – –) appears in Horace’s Odes 3.13: “O fons Bandusiae, splendidior vitro”; Greek poets like Alcman used it in choral lyrics; It’s a common Aeolic line form, often paired with glyconics; In English, imitations appear in Swinburne’s “Sapphics”; The Pherecratean creates lyrical intimacy; Its flexible opening allows natural diction within strict form.
Additional Notes
Pherecratean: An Aeolic metrical line named after the comic poet Pherecrates, structured as x – u u – u – (where x is anceps); often used in combination with other Aeolic lines like glyconic; key for analyzing Sappho’s and Alcaeus’s strophic systems.
Also Known As
Pherecratean meter
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