paroemiac

noun

1. A catalectic anapestic dimeter.

   countable, uncountable

   Two successive paroemiacs were admissible only in anapaests of this 'free' or lyric character (n. on 86—120). These paroemiacs are purely spondaic; as 'free' anapaests also admitted the converse license, of resolving the long syllables, except the last, of the paroemiac.

Where it comes from

From Ancient Greek παροιμιακόν (paroimiakón, noun) and παροιμιακός (paroimiakós, adjective), from παροιμία (paroimía, “proverb”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry paroemiac (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← parlousparonomasia →

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