redondilla: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare/SpecialistLiterary, Academic
Quick answer
What does “redondilla” mean?
A Spanish stanza form consisting of four octosyllabic lines, typically with a rhyme scheme of abba.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A Spanish stanza form consisting of four octosyllabic lines, typically with a rhyme scheme of abba.
In poetry, a short, rounded stanza often used for epigrams, songs, or concise lyrical expression. More broadly, it can refer to any short, circular verse or composition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, as the term is a direct loan from Spanish for a specific poetic form. Both varieties use it identically within literary contexts.
Connotations
Conveys expertise in poetry or Hispanic literature. May sound esoteric or pretentious if used outside appropriate academic or literary circles.
Frequency
Equally rare in both BrE and AmE. Encountered almost exclusively in university literature courses, scholarly works, or detailed analyses of poetic structure.
Grammar
How to Use “redondilla” in a Sentence
The poet [verb] a redondilla.The [adjective] redondilla [verb]...A redondilla [verb] of four lines.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “redondilla” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The lecture focused on the use of the redondilla in the works of Lope de Vega.
- She analysed the metre of the traditional redondilla.
American English
- His poem was structured as a modern adaptation of a redondilla.
- The redondilla's compact form presents a unique challenge to the translator.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literature departments, specifically in studies of Spanish Golden Age poetry, prosody, or verse forms.
Everyday
Extremely unlikely to be used or understood.
Technical
Used as a precise term in poetics and literary analysis to describe a specific metrical and rhyming structure.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “redondilla”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “redondilla”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “redondilla”
- Mispronouncing it as 're-don-dill-a'.
- Using it to refer to any four-line stanza (it is specifically octosyllabic and has the abba/abab scheme).
- Spelling it as 'redondila' or 'rondondilla'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost never. It is a highly specialised loanword confined to literary analysis and prosody.
Only if an English-language poet consciously adopts the Spanish form. The term would still be used descriptively to label that specific structure.
Both are Spanish stanza forms. A 'copla' is a more general term for a stanza or song, often with four lines, but its structure can vary. A 'redondilla' is a specific type of copla with strict octosyllabic lines and a consonant rhyme scheme (usually abba or abab).
The most common Anglicised pronunciation is /ˌrɛdɒnˈdiːjə/ (reh-don-DEE-yuh). The Spanish pronunciation is closer to /reðonˈdiʎa/, but the English approximation is widely accepted in academic settings.
A Spanish stanza form consisting of four octosyllabic lines, typically with a rhyme scheme of abba.
Redondilla is usually literary, academic in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly associated. A contextual idiom might be 'tight as a redondilla', implying concise, structured perfection.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a RED, ROUND (redond- in Spanish relates to 'round') villa. The villa has four rooms (four lines), and the rooms rhyme in a circle (abba scheme).
Conceptual Metaphor
THE POEM IS A PRECISE ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE. The redondilla is conceived as a small, perfectly circular building with a fixed design.
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining feature of a classic Spanish redondilla?