Open AccessSynonymy and rank in alliterative poetry
Author(s) -
Jonathan Roper
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
sign systems studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.17
H-Index - 7
eISSN - 1736-7409
pISSN - 1406-4243
DOI - 10.12697/sss.2012.1-2.05
Subject(s) - poetry , rank (graph theory) , estonian , literature , key (lock) , linguistics , range (aeronautics) , philosophy , art , mathematics , computer science , engineering , combinatorics , computer security , aerospace engineering
This paper addresses the high sonic demands of alliterative metres, and the consequences of these demands for sense: the semantic stretching of common words and the deployment of uncommon (archaic, 'poetic') words. The notion of alliterative rank is discussed as an indicator of such consequences (examples are given from English and Estonian verse) and the range of onsets found for synonyms of key notions in verse traditions is remarked upon.