Dictionary

hemistich en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈhɛmɪstiːʃ/
• /ˈhɛmɪstɪk/

Etymology

From French hémistiche, from Latin hēmistichium, from Ancient Greek ἡμιστίχιον (hēmistíkhion), from ἡμι- (hēmi-, “half”) + στίχος (stíkhos, “verse”).

Meanings

1. An approximate half-line of verse, separated from another by a caesura, often for dramatic effect.
   • […] I would first agree with [Earl] Wasserman that the last line ["[shapes] Which walk upon the sea, and chaunt melodiously"] alludes to Jesus walking on water, the point of the allusion being the kerygmatic expression of a form of transcendence, which is more or less specified by the way the other hemistych of this remarkably balanced thirteener – "and chaunt melodiously" – recalls how it is on the breath of enamored air and song that all the vigorously launched members and voices of this scene are sustaining their courses. 2011, Edward T. Duffy, “Recounting Reverses, Recovering the Initiative: Act II of Prometheus Unbound”, in The Constitution of Shelley’s Poetry: The Argument of Language in Prometheus Unbound (Anthem Nineteenth-century Series), London; New York, N.Y.: Anthem Press, →ISBN, page 144:
2. An unfinished line of verse.

Forms

Deriveds

hemistichal

Translations (17)

sv hemistik (approximate half-line of verse) · sv halvvers (approximate half-line of verse) · sv hemistik (unfinished line of verse) · pt hemistíquio (approximate half-line of verse) · bg полусти́шие (approximate half-line of verse) · es hemistiquio (approximate half-line of verse) · it emistichio (unfinished line of verse) · fr hémistiche (approximate half-line of verse) · es hemistiquio (unfinished line of verse) · ar مِصْرَاع (approximate half-line of verse) · sv halvvers (unfinished line of verse) · az misra (approximate half-line of verse) · de Halbvers (approximate half-line of verse) · fa-ira مِصْراع (approximate half-line of verse) · ca hemistiqui (approximate half-line of verse) · fi puolisäe (approximate half-line of verse) · it emistichio (approximate half-line of verse)