Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches

clausula

 - 2 dictionary results

clau⋅su⋅la

[klaw-zhuh-luh]
–noun, plural -lae [-lee] . Music.
an ornamented cadence esp. in early Renaissance music.

Origin:
< L: a closing, conclusion, equiv. to claus(us) (ptp. of claudere to close) + -ula -ule


clau⋅su⋅lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To clausula
Encyclopedia

clausula

in Greek and Latin rhetoric, the rhythmic close to a sentence or clause, or a terminal cadence. The clausula is especially important in ancient and medieval Latin prose rhythm; most of the clausulae in Cicero's speeches, for example, follow a specific pattern and distinctly avoid certain types of rhythmic endings. The final words of a speech were an important element of its effectiveness. Thus, the quantity of syllables became the basis on which to establish a regular metrical sequence. Certain endings were regarded as strong and were preferred; others were avoided as weak

Learn more about clausula with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see clausula on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: