Acatalectic

Acatalectic

An acatalectic line of verse is one having the metrically complete number of syllables in the final foot. The term is arguably of limited significance or utility, at least by comparison to its antonym, catalectic, for the simple reason that acatalexis is considered to be the "usual case" in the large majority of metrical contexts and therefore explicit reference to it proves almost universally superfluous.

For example, to describe Shakespeare's sonnets as having been written in "iambic pentameter acatalectic" would be factually accurate, but in practice would be absurd, for the simple reason that iambic pentameter is presumed to be acatalectic unless otherwise specified as being subject to catalexis. However, in very rare contexts where catalexis might be considered probable (e.g., in English trochaic tetrameter, or in differentiating acatalectic verses from surrounding catalectic ones), explicit expression of the verse's metrical completeness may be achieved by using the term.

ee also

*Catalectic


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  • acatalectic — ACATALÉCTIC, acatalectice, adj. (În metrica greco latină, în sintagma) Vers acatalectic (şi substantivat n.) = vers căruia nu i lipseşte nici o silabă. – Din fr. acatalectique. Trimis de ana zecheru, 29.07.2002. Sursa: DEX 98  acataléctic adj. n …   Dicționar Român

  • Acatalectic — A*cat a*lec tic, a. [L. acatalecticus, Gr. ?, not defective at the end; a priv. + ? to cease.] (Pros.) Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse. n. A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • acatalectic — [ā΄kat΄ l ek′tik] adj. [LL acatalecticus < Gr akatalēktos, incessant < a , without + katalēgein: see CATALECTIC] Prosody having the full number of syllables, esp. in the last foot n. an acatalectic line of verse …   English World dictionary

  • acatalectic — adjective Etymology: Late Latin acatalecticus, from acatalectus, from Greek akatalēktos, from a + katalēgein to leave off more at catalectic Date: 1589 not catalectic < acatalectic verse > • acatalectic noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • acatalectic — 1. adjective Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse 2. noun A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables …   Wiktionary

  • acatalectic — См. acatalèttico …   Пятиязычный словарь лингвистических терминов

  • acatalectic — /ay kat l ek tik/, Pros. adj. 1. not catalectic; complete. n. 2. a verse having the complete number of syllables in the last foot. Cf. catalectic, hypercatalectic. [1580 90; < LL acatalecticus. See A 6, CATALECTIC] * * * …   Universalium

  • acatalectic — acat·a·lec·tic …   English syllables

  • acatalectic — a•cat•a•lec•tic [[t]eɪˌkæt lˈɛk tɪk[/t]] adj. 1) pro (of a line of verse) not catalectic; complete 2) pro a verse having the complete number of syllables in the last foot • Etymology: 1580–90; < LL …   From formal English to slang

  • acatalectic — /ˌeɪkætəˈlɛktɪk/ (say .aykatuh lektik) adjective 1. not catalectic; complete. –noun 2. a verse having the complete number of syllables in the last foot …  

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