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swounds

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

Swounds is a contraction of "God's wounds," an oath expressing shock or emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Swounds, a minced oath from "God's wounds," adds colloquial vigor or blasphemy in dramatic poetry. Shakespearean characters employ it for realism. Poets use its archaic edge for emotional outburst, irony, or period flavor in character-driven verse exploring passion and conflict.
Example
Example in poetry:
Swounds, what devilry is this before mine eyes?; Swounds, the traitor shall pay for his deeds!; "Swounds!" cried the guard upon seeing the ghost.; Swounds, the storm breaks with furious might.; Swounds, thy courage knows no earthly bound.; Swounds, the tale shall live in song and story.
Additional Notes
Notes on swounds: Minced oath from "God's wounds," swounds adds shock or realism in dramatic poetry. Shakespearean characters use it for vigor. Students insert for emotional outburst. Tip: suit character-driven scenes. Related to oaths. Professors discuss blasphemy taboos. Its archaic edge injects irony or period flavor, helping learners portray passion and conflict through colloquial yet historical expressions that ground elevated drama.
Also Known As
zounds gads
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