distich

English

Etymology

From Latin distichon (“a poem of two verses, a distich consisting of a hexameter and a pentameter”), from Ancient Greek δίστιχον (dístikhon).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪstɪk/

Noun

distich (plural distichs)

1. (prosody) A couplet, a two-line stanza making complete sense.

   Coordinate term: monostich

   • 2012, Christer Henriksén, A Commentary on Martial, Epigrams Book 9, OUP Oxford, →ISBN, page 282:

     Through these distichs of increasing intensity and vagueness, the reader is brought to the riddle of the concluding distich: as far as the speaker is concerned, the girl was ‘pure’, but she will not be if Aeschylus wants to receive the same service on a ‘bad condition’.

2. Any couplet.

Translations

a two line stanza making complete sense

• Bulgarian: двустишие n (dvustišie)
• French: distique (fr) m
• German: Distichon (de) n
• Macedonian: двостих m (dvostih)
• Polish: dwuwiersz m, dystych m
• Portuguese: dístico (pt) m
• Russian: двусти́шие (ru) n (dvustíšije)

couplet — see couplet

Adjective

distich (not comparable)

1. Distichous.

Further reading

• couplet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• elegiac couplet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• heroic couplet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin distichus, from Ancient Greek δίστιχος (dístikhos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dɪsˈtɪç]
• Hyphenation: dis‧tich

Adjective

distich (strong nominative masculine singular disticher, not comparable)

1. (botany) distichous

Declension

Positive forms of distich (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist distich	sie ist distich	es ist distich	sie sind distich
strong declension (without article)	nominative	disticher	distiche	distiches	distiche
	genitive	distichen	disticher	distichen	disticher
	dative	distichem	disticher	distichem	distichen
	accusative	distichen	distiche	distiches	distiche
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der distiche	die distiche	das distiche	die distichen
	genitive	des distichen	der distichen	des distichen	der distichen
	dative	dem distichen	der distichen	dem distichen	den distichen
	accusative	den distichen	die distiche	das distiche	die distichen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein disticher	eine distiche	ein distiches	(keine) distichen
	genitive	eines distichen	einer distichen	eines distichen	(keiner) distichen
	dative	einem distichen	einer distichen	einem distichen	(keinen) distichen
	accusative	einen distichen	eine distiche	ein distiches	(keine) distichen

Related terms

• distichisch
• Distichie
• Distichon

Further reading

• “distich” in Duden online
• “distich” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache