bacchiac
|bac-chi-ac|
/bækˈaɪ.æk/
Bacchic; a metrical foot
Etymology
'bacchiac' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'bacchiacus', where 'Bacchus' referred to the Roman god Bacchus (the god of wine and festivity).
'bacchiac' changed from Latin 'bacchiacus' (borrowed from Greek 'Bakkhikos' meaning 'of Bacchus') into Late Latin/Medieval Latin forms and was later adopted into English in a learned/technical sense as 'bacchiac'.
Initially, it meant 'of or pertaining to Bacchus' (i.e., Bacchic or relating to Bacchic rites); over time it also acquired a technical sense in prosody to denote a particular metrical foot.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a metrical foot in classical prosody, traditionally described as consisting of one short syllable followed by two long syllables (notated u – –); used in descriptions of ancient Greek and Latin verse and in technical discussions of meter.
Scholars noted a bacchiac in the third foot of the line, producing a stately, swelling rhythm.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
of or relating to Bacchus (the Roman god of wine) or to Bacchic rites; also used figuratively to describe something characterized by drunken revelry or ecstatic abandon.
The play's bacchiac scenes evoke wild, orgiastic celebrations of the harvest.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/24 16:40