WORD-ENDS AND METRICAL BOUNDARIES IN ANCIENT IAMBIC TRIMETER OF COMEDY
Maria-Kristiina Lotman
Studia Humaniora Tartuensia, vol. 1 (2000)
Abstract
It is generally known that word-ends in a verse tend to accumulate in certain positions, while they are avoided in other positions. Researches concerning regularities in occurrences of word-ends are quite common in verse theory (incl. ancient metrics). Thus, as for the inheritance of ancient Greek poetry, hexameter as well as lyric and tragic iamb has been thoroughly analysed: the positions of main caesuras and bridges are established. But at the same time the occurrences of word-ends in iambic trimeter of comedy have not been given enough attention. In the present research an attempt is made to correct such deficiency and to describe the most important statistical regularities in this verse.
We proceed from the standpoint that both in ancient Greek and Latin the deep structure of iambic trimeter is following: &&&AB&AB&&AB&AB&&AB&AB&&&
(where A and B mark different metrical positions, & verse feet boundaries, && dipodic boundaries and &&& verse boundaries).
The following quantitative-syllabic correspondence rules are applied here:
1) one short syllable or a sequence of two short syllables corresponds to A position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, B position is filled with one syllable;
2) one short syllable, one long syllable or a sequence of two syllables corresponds to &A position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, B position is filled with one syllable;
3) one long syllable or a sequence of two syllables corresponds to B position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, A position is filled with one syllable.
Maria-Kristiina Lotman
Studia Humaniora Tartuensia, vol. 1 (2000)
Abstract
It is generally known that word-ends in a verse tend to accumulate in certain positions, while they are avoided in other positions. Researches concerning regularities in occurrences of word-ends are quite common in verse theory (incl. ancient metrics). Thus, as for the inheritance of ancient Greek poetry, hexameter as well as lyric and tragic iamb has been thoroughly analysed: the positions of main caesuras and bridges are established. But at the same time the occurrences of word-ends in iambic trimeter of comedy have not been given enough attention. In the present research an attempt is made to correct such deficiency and to describe the most important statistical regularities in this verse.
We proceed from the standpoint that both in ancient Greek and Latin the deep structure of iambic trimeter is following: &&&AB&AB&&AB&AB&&AB&AB&&&
(where A and B mark different metrical positions, & verse feet boundaries, && dipodic boundaries and &&& verse boundaries).
The following quantitative-syllabic correspondence rules are applied here:
1) one short syllable or a sequence of two short syllables corresponds to A position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, B position is filled with one syllable;
2) one short syllable, one long syllable or a sequence of two syllables corresponds to &A position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, B position is filled with one syllable;
3) one long syllable or a sequence of two syllables corresponds to B position, but the latter can occur if, and only if, A position is filled with one syllable.
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