spondee
(ˈspɒndiː)
Also 4, 6–7 sponde, 6 -ie, spondæ, 7 -æe.
[ad. L. spondē-us, incorrectly spondæ-us (sc. pes), ad. Gr. σπονδεῖος, f. σπονδή solemn drink-offering; or a. F. spondée (= It. spondeo, Sp. and Pg. espondeo).]
1. Pros. A metrical foot consisting of two long syllables. Also attrib.
| α a 1390 Wycliffite Bible, Job Prol., Vers of sixe feet, rennende with dactile and sponde feet. 1567 Drant Horace, Ep. A viij, In the fourth roume and seconde roume Iambus still hath bene. In Ennius or Accius, Spondie is seldom seene. 1596 J. Davies Orchestra lxvi, Yet all the feete..Are onely Spondeis, solemne, graue, and sloe. 1670 Eachard Cont. Clergy 13 Upon the first scanning, he knows a sponde from a dactyl. 1746 Francis tr. Horace, Art of Poetry 259 note, Horace blames Ennius and Accius..for making their Verses hard and heavy by ill-placing the Spondees. 1771 Mackenzie Man Feel. xx, It is a spondee, and I will maintain it! 1835 T. Mitchell Aristoph., Acharn. 571 note, Originally, this kind of address was composed in pure anapæsts, without any mixture of spondees or dactyls. 1888 Cent. Mag. Mar. 671/2 Jerry made a spondee of Frank's name [sc. Mallard]. |
| β 1586 W. Webbe Eng. Poetrie (Arb.) 81 Thys verse consisteth of these fiue feete, one Chore, one spondæ, one dactyl, and two Choreis. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1253 Those which were endited to the praise of Mars and Minerva, and with Spondæes. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab., Let. Howard, The quantity of every syllable, which they might vary with Spondæes or Dactiles. |
2. Mus. (See
quots.)
| 1861 J. S. Adams 5000 Mus. Terms 94 Spondee, a musical foot consisting of two long notes, accented thus – –. 1875 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms, Spondee, a musical foot consisting of two long syllables. |