versify

English

Etymology

From Middle English versifien, from Old French versifier, learned borrowing from Latin versificāre, present active infinitive of versificō (“versify”), from versus (see verse) + faciō (“make”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪfaɪ/

Verb

versify (third-person singular simple present versifies, present participle versifying, simple past and past participle versified)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to make or compose verses
   • 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The First Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: Printed for Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:

     I'll versify in spite, and do my best.

2. (intransitive) to tell in verse; deal with in verse form
3. (intransitive) to turn (prose) into poetry; rewrite in verse form

Derived terms

• versifier

Translations

transitive: to make or compose verses

• Arabic: نَظَمَ (naẓama)
• Armenian: քերթել (hy) (kʻertʻel)
• Bulgarian: пиша стихове (piša stihove)
• Georgian: ლექსების წერა (leksebis c̣era)
• Middle English: versifien
• Portuguese: versar (pt), versejar, versificar
• Romanian: versifica (ro)
• Ukrainian: віршува́ти impf (viršuváty)

intransitive: to tell in verse; deal with in verse form

• Georgian: ლექსების წერა (leksebis c̣era)
• Portuguese: versar (pt), versejar, versificar
• Ukrainian: віршува́ти impf (viršuváty)

intransitive: to turn prose into poetry; rewrite in verse form

• Georgian: გალექსვა (galeksva)
• German: versifizieren (de)
• Portuguese: versar (pt), versejar, versificar
• Swedish: versifiera (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} stihotvoriti