[Transcriber’s Note:
In this section, a free-standing # represents the “diaeresis” symbol
as described in the text.]
2542. CAESURA AND DIAERESIS. A _Caesūra_ (literally _a cutting_, from
_caedo_, _I cut_) is the break in a verse produced by the ending of a
word within a foot. When the end of a word coincides with the end of a
foot, the break is called a _Diaeresis_ (Gr. διαίρεσις, _a separating_).
A caesura is marked ‖, a diaeresis #.
The word _caesura_ is often loosely used to include both caesura proper
and diaeresis.
2543. Strictly speaking, there is a caesura (or diaeresis, as the case
may be) wherever a word ends within a verse; but the main incision in
the verse is so much more important than the rest that it is often
called the _principal caesura_, or simply _the caesura_.
2544. Caesuras are named according to their position in the verse; thus
a caesura after the third half-foot (i.e. in the second foot) is called
_trithemimeral_ (from Gr. τριθημιμερής, _containing three halves_), one
after the fifth half-foot (i.e. in the third foot) _penthemimeral_
(Gr. πενθημιμερής, _consisting of five halves_), one after the seventh
half-foot (i.e. in the fourth foot) _hephthemimeral_ (Gr. ἑφθημιμερής),
&c.
The Latin names _caesūra sēmiternāria_ (= the trithemimeral caesura),
_sēmiquīnāria_ (= the penthemimeral), _sēmiseptēnāria_ (= the
hepthemimeral), &c., are sometimes used. For the _masculine_ and
_feminine_ caesuras, see 2557.