Disyllables | |
---|---|
◡ ◡ | pyrrhic, dibrach |
◡ – | iamb |
– ◡ | trochee, choree |
– – | spondee |
Trisyllables | |
◡ ◡ ◡ | tribrach |
– ◡ ◡ | dactyl |
◡ – ◡ | amphibrach |
◡ ◡ – | anapaest, antidactylus |
◡ – – | bacchius |
– ◡ – | cretic, amphimacer |
– – ◡ | antibacchius |
– – – | molossus |
See main article for tetrasyllables. | |
In poetic metre, a trochee (/ˈtroʊkiː/) is a metrical foot consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one, in qualitative meter, as found in English, and in modern linguistics; or in quantitative meter, as found in Latin and Ancient Greek, a heavy syllable followed by a light one (also described as a long syllable followed by a short one).[1] In this respect, a trochee is the reverse of an iamb. Thus the Latin word íbī, 'there', because of its short-long rhythm, in Latin metrical studies is considered to be an iamb, but since it is stressed on the first syllable, in modern linguistics it is considered to be a trochee.
The adjective form is trochaic. The English word trochee is itself trochaic since it is composed of the stressed syllable /ˈtroʊ/ followed by the unstressed syllable /kiː/.
Another name formerly used for a trochee was a choree (/ˈkɔːriː/), or choreus.