> On Sunday 14 October 2001 02:02, laokou wrote:
>
> > In other words, I guess, would "syncopation" and "lenition" be
> > considered rhymes in English (I doubt it)
>
> I wouldn't, not in English.
>
> > as opposed to
> > "syncopation" and "alien nation"? And is "syncopation"/"oration" or
> > "syncopation/occupation" considered a better rhyme?
>
> Yes, I consider that a better rhyme in English, but it's probably a
> matter of taste. (I'd probably hear 'alien nation' as 'alienation' in
> the first case)
>
> > I don't think
> > the Romance languages have these issues (German seems to play).
>
> I'm not sure about Romance languages, but medieval Latin considers
> /'miser/, /'niger/ and /'fortiter/ as rhyming.
>
> > Are these masculine/feminine rhyme issues? How many syllables back
> > does one need to go for a "great rhyme" (the Valdyan song is to die
> > from, but does it [endings in '-at'] rhyme?
>
> Well, Valdyans think it rhymes. Only the final syllable is considered
> to determine a rhyme, even though it's usually unstressed because
> it's an affix more often than not (stress falls on the first syllable
> of the stem). Poets use the (usually stressed) different penultimate
> syllables to break the monotony of the aaaa rhyme. Having
> rhyming penultimate syllables as well (chalat/valat) is weaker.
>
> > [singing allows for
> > near-rhymes]).
>
> Also, some languages consider a stressed and an unstressed syllable
> as an almost-rhyme; there's a whole Welsh verse form built on that.
>
> Irina
>
> --
> irina@valdyas.org
http://www.valdyas.org/irina
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> By my troth, we that have good wits have much to answer for. We shall
> be flouting; we cannot hold.
> - William Shakespeare, _As You Like It_
>