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torc

Jewellery
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 torc is a rigid metal neck ring, often made of twisted gold, bronze, or silver, worn as Jewellery and especially associated with ancient Celtic cultures.

Detailed Definition
Torcs were usually open-ended circular necklaces, sometimes decorated with animal heads, knobs, or elaborate twisted patterns. In poetry, a torc may suggest wealth, rank, warrior culture, antiquity, or Celtic heritage. However, when capitalised as “Torc” in Katharine Tynan Hinkson’s poem, it is not Jewellery: it refers to Torc Mountain and Torc Waterfall near Killarney, Ireland.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “Many Waters,” Tynan Hinkson writes: “And from the crest of Torc, sweet streams, Golden and brown, came singing on” Here, “Torc” is a geographical proper name, referring to the mountain’s crest rather than to a neck ornament. Later, “The roar of the Torc Waterfall” likewise names the waterfall in the Irish landscape.
Additional Notes
The word torc comes through Latin torquis, meaning “collar” or “twisted necklace.” Ancient Celtic torcs, particularly gold examples, are important archaeological objects and are often associated with high social status or ceremonial display. Do not confuse the common noun torc (the item of Jewellery) with Torc in the poem, which is a place name.
Also Known As
Torque Celtic Neck Ring Twisted Collar Metal Torc
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