XIII.—The Origin of the Rule Forbidding Hiatus in French Verse

Abstract

The rule forbidding hiatus in French verse which has been followed in all literary poetry since Malherbe's day may be thus formulated:— A word ending in a vowel other than an e muet cannot be followed within the same line by a word beginning with a vowel or h muette. Where a word ends in an e muet and the following word begins with a vowel or an h muette, the e muet is elided and the hiatus thus avoided. For the purposes of this rule the t of et is supposed not to exist. Oui is sometimes treated as though it began with a consonant. Hiatus is allowed before or after a few interjections; also in certain set expressions such as peu à peu, cà et là , and the like.