An Outline of the Metres in the Pāḷi Canon
A concise but thorough explanation of the metres that are found in the Pāli canon, along with examples and glossary.
A concise but thorough explanation of the metres that are found in the Pāli canon, along with examples and glossary.
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<strong>An</strong> <strong>Outl<strong>in</strong>e</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Metres</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pāḷi</strong> <strong>Canon</strong> - 52<br />
geyya<br />
literally s<strong>in</strong>gable, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> tradition signifies a type <strong>of</strong> composition <strong>of</strong><br />
mixed prose and verse, some <strong>of</strong> which at least may have been<br />
‘performed’ to illustrate po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>of</strong> Buddhist doctr<strong>in</strong>e or folklore.<br />
Sagāthavagga <strong>of</strong> Saṁyuttanikāya conta<strong>in</strong>s many examples <strong>of</strong> geyya<br />
Gīti<br />
literally song 2.17ff cf. also Old Gīti 2.16<br />
Gubb<strong>in</strong>ī (Gurviṇi)<br />
a gaṇacchandas hypermetre 2.19<br />
half-verse (or half-stanza etc.) see pādayuga<br />
haplography<br />
omission <strong>of</strong> a syllable by accident when it appears twice <strong>in</strong> a word<br />
hiatus<br />
1) a gap<br />
2) two vowels <strong>in</strong> succession without an <strong>in</strong>terven<strong>in</strong>g consonant<br />
hypermetre<br />
1) a class <strong>of</strong> metres composed us<strong>in</strong>g extendable forms, see 2.19<br />
2) hav<strong>in</strong>g a syllable, or syllables additional to <strong>the</strong> normal metre<br />
(even a l<strong>in</strong>e show<strong>in</strong>g syllabic resolution may be referred to as<br />
hypermetric)<br />
ictus<br />
<strong>in</strong> metre a syllable that is stressed or emphasized (ictus strictly<br />
speak<strong>in</strong>g does not apply to <strong>Pāḷi</strong> verse composition, but it is<br />
sometimes mentioned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> literature).
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