spondee English · revision 1120

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈspɒndi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''sponde'',^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|frm|spondee]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|la|spondeus]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|σπονδεῖος|tr=spondeîos|t=of a libation]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''spondḗ'' “libation, drink offering”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) because the metre was used in chants accompanying libations.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) It is related to [[sponsor]] and [[spouse]].^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A metrical foot of two long syllables (before 1382 in Barnhart; before 1390 in the OED).^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In accentual verse the term applies to a foot of two stressed syllables.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The adjective ''spondaic'' is recorded from 1722.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1382 – a foot of two long syllables.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1589 – ''spondiac'' in Puttenham.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1722 – ''spondaic''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A metrical [[foot]] of two long or stressed syllables.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[spondaic]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sponsor]]

+ * [[spouse]]

+ * [[iamb]]

+ * [[trochee]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}