arsis

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arsis (pros.) unemphatic syllable XVIII; strong syllable XIX. — late L. — Gr. ársis lifting, raising, f. aírein raise; opposed to THESIS. By Gr. writers applied to the raising of the foot in beating time, which marked the unaccented syllable, by later L. writers referred to the raising of the voice, which marked the accented syllable; there is consequently the same opposition of meaning in thesis.

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arsis

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