‖ arsis
(ˈɑːsɪs)
[L., a. Gr. ἄρσις lifting, raising, f. αἴρειν to lift. There has been much dispute as to the exact meaning of this word. In Greek, according to Liddell and Scott, it was ‘the raising of the foot in beating time’; but it is uncertain whether this concurred with the syllables which had greatest or least force; and ‘perhaps the original meaning was the raising of the voice to a higher pitch’ (A. J. Ellis). Latin writers explain it as the raising of the voice (to greater force) on the first syllable of a metrical foot.]
1. (The following quots. illustrate the various opinions of writers.)
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. cxxxi. (1495) 941 Arsis is rerynge of voys and is the begynnyng of songe. Thesis is settynge and is the ende. 1749 Numbers in Poet. Comp. 22 The following Iambicks move per Arsin et Thesin, and are measured by the Hand first up and then down, because they begin with a short Quantity. |
ar.th.ar.th.ar.th.ar.th.
Whenall {vb}thyMer {vb}cies,O {vb}myGod.
1795 Mason Ch. Mus. iv. 258 What the writers on Verbal Pronunciation mean by acute and grave sounds, or what they technically term Arsis and Thesis. 1819 Pantolog. s.v., Thesis implies the emphatic or accentuated part of the bar; and arsis the weak, or unaccented part. 1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms s.v., Forasmuch as the confusion among musicians in using these terms [arsis, thesis, ictus] has resulted from the disagreement of scholars as to their proper application, it is much to be hoped that they will be allowed to sink into disuse.
2. In modern acceptation: The strong syllable in English metre (or classical metre as read by Englishmen), the strong note in barred music; thus identical with the modern meaning of L. ictus. (A.J.E.)
| 1834 Penny Cycl. II. 406/2 The dactylic arsis, or the arsis followed by two depressions. 1876 Kennedy Pub. Sch. Lat. Gram. §259 In Dactylic and Trochaic verse the arsis is on the first part of each foot; l{iacu}tora, árma. In Anapæstic and Iambic on the last: patulǽ, canó. |
‖ 3. In Mus. per arsin: By descent of voice or sound from higher to lower pitch. ? Obs.
| 1706 in Phillips. 1751 Chambers Cycl. s.v., Fugha per arsin et thesin. 1879 Ouseley in Grove Dict. Mus. I. 95/1 When applied to the voice, a subject, counterpart, or fugue, is said to be ‘per thesin,’ when the notes ascend from grave to acute; ‘per arsin’ when they descend from acute to grave. A fugue ‘per arsin et thesin’ is the same thing as a fugue ‘by inversion.’ |