hemistich Pros.
(ˈhɛmɪstɪk)
Also 7 hemistique, -estique, 7–8 hemistick, 8 -estich; 7–8 in L. form hemistichium.
[ad. late L. hēmistichium, ad. Gr. ἡµιστίχιον, f. ἡµι- hemi- + στίχος row, line, verse. Cf. F. hémistiche (16th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), hémistique in Cotgr.]
The half or section of a line of verse, as divided by the cæsura or the like; also, a line of less than the usual length. spec. Such a half-line or line in Old English verse.
| 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 40 In the skro vndergrauen..iz thear a proper woord, an hemistichi, well squaring with al the rest..Lac, Caseus infans. 1609 Dod & Cleaver Expos. Prov. ix. & x. 88 The first hemistich, or former part of the verse. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. iv. i. ii, According to that hemistichium of Petronius, primus in orbe deos fecit timor. 1635–56 Cowley Davideis i. 14th Note, I am far from their opinion, who think that Virgil himself intended to have filled up these broken Hemestiques. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 39 ¶5, I do not dislike the Speeches in our English Tragedy that close with an Hemistick or Half Verse. 1823 J. Bosworth Elem. Anglo-Saxon Gram. 246 The question, as to whether the two hemistichs shall be regarded as one or two lines, is evidently that of a writer or printer, not of a singer or reciter. 1837–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. (1847) II. 169 The occasional hemistich and redundant syllables break the monotony of the measure. 1857 C. Patmore in North Brit. Rev. XXVII. 148 Each hemistich contains two accented syllables. 1888 A. S. Cook Judith p. 1, The line of poetry consists of two hemistichs, separated by the cæsura. 1925 M. D. Clubb Christ & Satan p. xv, The mark most consistently..employed is the metrical point, indicating the pause between hemistichs. 1970 Jrnl. Eng. & Gmc. Philol. LXIX. 86 One would not expect þā to provide the only alliteration in the second hemistich. |
Hence ˈhemistichal a., pertaining to a hemistich.
| 1824 Warton's Hist. Eng. Poetry (1840) I. 15 note, The reader will observe the constant return of the hemistichal point, which I have been careful to preserve. |