in prosody, a foot of two syllables, the first short or unaccented, the second long or accented, 1842, from French iambe (16c.) or directly from Latin iambus "an iambic foot; an iambic poem," from Greek iambos "metrical foot of one unaccented followed by one accented syllable" (see iambic).
Iambus itself was used in English in this sense from 1580s. In English as in Greek, it has been held to be the natural cadence of speech. The full Greek iamb consisted of two such units, one variable the other weighted like a modern English iamb. In Greek, the measure was said to have been first used by satiric writers.
[The Iambus] is formed constantly by the proper accentuation of familiar, but dignified, conversational language, either in Greek or English : it is the dramatic metre in both, and in English, the Epic also. When the softened or passionate syllables of Italian replace the Latin resoluteness, it enters the measure of Dante, with a peculiar quietness and lightness of accent which distinguish it, there, wholly from the Greek and English Iambus. [Ruskin, "Elements of English Prosody, for use in St. George's Schools," 1880]
Compare trochee, spondee. The Greeks gave names to recurring patterns imparted to the words of their ritual songs and dances. The patterns were associated with certain types of songs and dances, and tended to take their names accordingly. The Roman poets picked up the vocabulary from the Greeks and applied it, somewhat ill-fitted, to their own (undanced) verses.
The English poets of the 16c., building a prosody for modern English, hesitated but then accepted the Latin foot names and applied them to stress patterns in English that, in only some ways, approximate those of Latin. Consequently the Greek meanings of the foot-names have almost no relevance to the modern use of them in prosody.
in prosody, 1570s (n.) "a foot of two syllables, the first short or unaccented, the second long or accented;" 1580s (adj.), "pertaining to or employing iambs," from Late Latin iambicus, from Greek iambikos, from iambos "metrical foot of one unaccented followed by one accented syllable; an iambic verse or poem," traditionally said to be from iaptein "to assail, attack" (in words), literally "to put forth, send forth" (in reference to missiles, etc.), but Beekes says "doubtless of Pre-Greek origin."
The meter of invective and lampoon in classical Greek since it was first used 7c. B.C.E. by Archilochus, whose tomb, Gaetulicus says, is haunted by wasps; iambics of various length formed the bulk of all English poetry before 20c. and a great deal since. The iambic of classical Greek and Latin poetry was quantitative.
a titan, son of Uranus and Gaia; Latinized form of Greek Iapetos, which is of uncertain origin. It has been connected with biblical Japheth or with Greek iaptein "to put forth, send forth" (perhaps as "the one thrown" by Zeus into Tartaros" or "the one who throws" a spear, etc.). Beekes finds these improbable and suggests that, as the name of a pre-Olympian god, it is a Pre-Greek word.
1869; see beam (n.). So called for its shape. I-bar is from 1890; also I-rail (1873).
"chamois, wild goat of the Alps and Apennines," c. 1600, from Latin ibex, which probably is from a pre-Latin Alpine language. The German Steinbock.
stork-like bird, late 14c., from Latin ibis (plural ibes), from Greek ibis, from Egyptian hab, a sacred bird of Egypt.
"at the place or in the book already mentioned" (used to avoid repetition of references), 1660s, abbreviation of Latin ibidem "in the same place, just there," from ibi "there," pronominal adverb of place, + demonstrative suffix -dem. Also ibid, but properly with the period.
nerve stimulant, 1901, from French ibogaine, from iboga, Congolese name of the shrub from which the chemical is extracted, + chemical suffix -ine (2).
Old English is "ice, piece of ice" (also the name of the Anglo-Saxon rune for -i-), from Proto-Germanic *is- "ice" (source also of Old Norse iss, Old Frisian is, Dutch ijs, German Eis), of uncertain origin; possible relatives are Avestan aexa- "frost, ice," isu- "frosty, icy;" Afghan asai "frost." Slang meaning "diamonds" is attested from 1906.
Modern spelling begins to appear 15c. and makes the word look French. On ice "kept out of the way until wanted" is from 1890. Thin ice in the figurative sense is from 1884. To break the ice "to make the first opening to any attempt" is from 1580s, metaphoric of making passages for boats by breaking up river ice though in modern use it usually has implications of "cold reserve." Ice-fishing is from 1869; ice-scraper is from 1789 in cookery.
