dibrach
- noun
- /ˈdɪbræk/
- Literature
:
dibraque
- In this analysis, the dibrach interrupts the regular iambic rhythm.
Examples
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The ancient poem features a rare dibrach followed by a spondee in the second line.
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The poet skillfully incorporated a dibrach to enhance the musicality of her lines.
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Scholars debate where the dibrach actually appears in classical verse.
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A dibrach is often used in poetry.
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Many poems include dibraches for rhythm.
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In traditional metrics, a dibrach can create a light, playful rhythm in poetry.
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A classic example of a dibrach can be found in nursery rhymes, where it flows smoothly.
Synonyms
A unit of rhythm in poetry made of two unstressed syllables
A group of two or three syllables that makes the poem's basic rhythm
Surface Forms
Morphology
dibrach = di + brach
The prefix 'di-' signals 'two', which hints at the meaning, but the root 'brach' (short/unstressed) is a specialised combining form unfamiliar to most learners, so the meaning is only partly inferable.
Etymology
Dibrach comes from Greek parts di- meaning 'two' and brach meaning 'short'. Think of it as a 'two-short' step in a poem, a tiny metrical foot made of two short unstressed syllables, which is why the word names that rhythm.
