Trochaic
/troʊˈkeɪ.ɪk/noun
Relating to a trochee, a metrical foot of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.
Did you know?Trochaic comes from Greek *trokhaios*, tied to *trochos* meaning “wheel,” so the beat of the word was imagined as something that rolls or turns.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
trokhaios
“running; trochaic, describing a poetic rhythm”
Ancient Greek
Greek
trochos
“wheel; something that turns or runs in a circle”
Latin
Latin
trochaicus
“trochaic, pertaining to trochees in verse”
Middle English
English
trochaik
“relating to a trochaic meter”
Modern English
English
trochaic
“relating to a trochee or trochaic meter”