quatrain
UK[ˈkwɒt.reɪn]US[ˈkwɑː.treɪn]
n
A stanza of four lines, typically with alternate rhymes.
Morpheme Breakdown
quatr
ain
quatr
four
ain
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'quatrain' entered English in the late 16th century from the French 'quatrain', which itself derives from the Old French 'quatre', meaning 'four'. The French term is a direct descendant of the Latin 'quattuor', tracing its ultimate origin to the Proto-Indo-European root kʷetwóres. The logic of the word is transparently numerical, as the morpheme 'quatr' directly signals the defining feature of the poetic form: its structure of four lines. The suffix '-ain' functions to form a noun, solidifying the term as a label for this specific metrical unit.
Analysis
Structure: quatr (four) + ain (noun suffix)
'quatr' originates from the Latin 'quattuor', meaning 'four'. 'ain' is a French-derived noun suffix.
Examples
The poem's final quatrain offers a surprising resolution to its thematic conflict.
She has a particular talent for writing humorous quatrains in iambic pentameter.
The classic Persian rubai is a form of quatrain with a specific rhyme scheme.