Spanish Conversation · Level 130
60 words
Spanish word
jarcha
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈxaɾtʃa/
Meaning
- feminine nounjarcha
Example
Leí una jarcha al final de la estrofa.
I read one jarcha at the end of the stanza.
More examples
¿Qué es una jarcha?
What is a jarcha?
Core concept
Short vernacular closing line that ends a muwashshah stanza and expresses a simple emotion.
Similar words
estribillo: Short musical refrain repeated at intervals throughout a song or poem.
refrán: Concise folk saying used as a proverb or to teach a practical lesson.
copla: Short lyrical stanza or verse commonly sung in folk tradition.
estrofa: Block of lines forming a stanza in a poem.
Definition in Spanish
Palabra que designa una breve línea final en lengua romance situada al término de un muwashshah o poema mozárabe, que suele expresar un sentimiento simple y directo.
Word origin
The term comes from Arabic kharja 'to go out' and names the vernacular exit line that closes muwashshah poetry in medieval Iberia and typically conveys a direct feeling.
Usage tips
- Initial j is pronounced like Spanish /x/ (a guttural h), the regular plural is jarchas, and the term is a specialist label used mainly in discussions of medieval poetry rather than in everyday speech.