Sapphic

See also: sapphic

English

WOTD – 11 January 2010

Alternative forms

• Sapphick (obsolete)

Etymology

Sappho (Ancient Greek Σαπφώ (Sapphṓ)) +‎ -ic, whence Latin Sapphicus. Sense related to sexuality alludes to Sappho's poetry discussing love between women (see also lesbian).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈsæf.ɪk/
• Rhymes: -æfɪk

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

Sapphic (not comparable)

1. Relating to the Greek poetess Sappho from Lesbos or her poetry.
2. (poetry) Of a certain kind of verse reputed to have been invented by Sappho, consisting of five metrical feet, of which the first, fourth, and fifth are trochees, the second is a spondee, and the third a dactyl.
3. Alternative letter-case form of sapphic: relating to sexual or romantic intimacy between women.

Related terms

• sapphism
• sapphist

Translations

relating to the Greek poetess Sappho or her poetry

• Finnish: sapfolainen
• French: saphique (fr)
• Hungarian: szapphói
• Irish: Safach
• Spanish: sáfico, lesbio

sapphic — see sapphic

Noun

Sapphic (plural Sapphics)

1. (poetry) A Sapphic verse.
   • 1824, Vicesimus Knox, The Works of Vicesimus Knox, D.D.: With a Biographical Preface:

     His Sapphics, on the story of Bacchus and Ariadne, are easy, elegant, and poetical.

   • 1887, Horace, Horace: The Odes, Carmen Seculare, and Epodes, page 174:

     The first line (which goes by the name of Aristophanes) is a Sapphic without the initial trochees.

   • 1888, Maurice Thompson, A Fortnight of Folly, page 41:

     "A real Sapphic," said Crane, dropping into a poetical tone, as an elocutionist does when he is hungry for an opportunity to recite a favorite sketch.

2. A person who is sapphic.
   • 2004, Simon Callow, Being an Actor, page 9:

     'Very good,” he said, 'although I must confess that the older I get, the less I am able to enjoy the company of women – except of course our own dear Enid who is so notorious a Sapphic as to be virtually hors concours.

   • 2011 March 17, Annalisa Millo, “A great year for lesbians”, in QSaltake, number 176, page 33:

     There are many of us (yes, even in Utah) who are more style-conscious, socially involved and culturally aware Sapphics than the common opinion dictates.

   • 2019 Summer, Gretal M. (19), review of Her Royal Highness, by Rachel Hawkins in The Chuckanut Reader, page 71:

     Are you a fan of hate-to-love? Roommates? Royalty romances? Geology puns? Sapphics? Her Royal Highness has all of this and more. After Millie discovers her best friend turned maybe girlfriend kissing someone else, she decides to flee […]

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Sapphic.

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:gay woman

See also

• WLW, lesbian