amphimaceric
|am-phi-ma-cer-ic|
/ˌæmfɪˈmeɪsərɪk/
long-short-long (stress: strong-weak-strong)
Etymology
'amphimaceric' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'amphi-' and 'makros', where 'amphi-' meant 'on both sides' and 'makros' meant 'long'.
'amphimaceric' changed from Neo-Latin/Latin technical usage (related to the term 'amphimacer', ultimately from Greek 'amphimakros') and eventually became the English adjective 'amphimaceric'.
Initially it referred to 'long on both sides' (a quantitative description in classical prosody); over time it evolved into the modern usage meaning the metrical pattern long-short-long or, in stress-based languages, stressed-unstressed-stressed.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or having the amphimacer metrical pattern — a three-syllable foot with a stressed–unstressed–stressed (strong–weak–strong) rhythm.
The line is amphimaceric, composed of a stressed-unstressed-stressed rhythm that gives it a jerky, emphatic cadence.
Last updated: 2025/09/14 13:40