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Undy

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

In heraldry, wavy lines representing water, often used to symbolize rivers, seas, or fluidity in a coat of arms.

Detailed Definition
Undy represents flowing water or waves, symbolizing fluidity and change. Poets use it to evoke movement, emotions, or natural landscapes.
Example
Example in poetry:
The field undy, wavy like water, suggested sea or emotion in motion; “Undy sorrow,” the elegy pictured grief as rolling waves; The poet described the river as undy azure, life’s constant flow; In maritime arms, undy fields declared connection to ocean and trade; Undy lines in poetry create rhythm, mirroring natural movement.
Additional Notes
Undy (or wavy) describes a line or field resembling water waves; it is used for divisions (e.g., “per fess undy”) or charges like bars; symbolically, it represents the sea, fluidity, or emotional depth; in poetry, undy lines evoke movement, instability, or baptismal imagery; it contrasts with straight lines (embattled, engrailed) to create dynamic texture.
Also Known As
Wavy Undée
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