Word
mora
Phoneticsmo·ra
US/ˈmɔɹə/
UK/mˈɔːɹɐ/
Definition
n. a unit of time used in poetry and language to measure the length of a sound. It helps people understand the rhythm of a word or a line of verse.
n. a unit of phonological weight or duration used in prosody to determine syllable length. Typically used in the analysis of quantitative verse or languages like Japanese.
Examples
“A short syllable usually counts as one mora.”
“In Japanese phonology, the word 'Nippon' is composed of four distinct morae, which dictates its rhythmic timing.”
“Linguists distinguish between light and heavy syllables by counting the number of morae they contain, a distinction crucial for understanding stress patterns in classical Latin poetry.”
Examples
simple
“A short syllable usually counts as one mora.”
contextual
“In Japanese phonology, the word 'Nippon' is composed of four distinct morae, which dictates its rhythmic timing.”
complex
“Linguists distinguish between light and heavy syllables by counting the number of morae they contain, a distinction crucial for understanding stress patterns in classical Latin poetry.”
Usage
The plural form is either 'moras' or the Latinate 'morae'.
Etymology
From the surnames of the German inventors, Franz Morell and Erich Rasche.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/mora