E olian (1), eolian (2)

[From Æolus, the god of the winds and king of the volcanic islands off the coast of Italy, now called the "Lipari" Islands, in the caverns of which the winds were supposed to be confined. This is probably an old way of attempting to explain the occurrence of noises as of struggling air in the caverns, the result, perhaps, of volcanic commotion.] 1. Pertaining to Æolus, or the cavern in which he was fabled to keep the winds confined. Le loud the winds that from th' Eolian hall Roar through the woods, and make whole forests fall" Pope: Homer's Iliad , xiv., 469, 460. 2. Pertaining to the wind. "A wind that through the corridor Just stirs the curtain, and no more, And, touching the colian strings, Faints with the burden that it brings!" Long fellow: Golden Legend. Æolian harp, s. A harp played by Æolus in other words, by the wind. It is made by stretching strings of catgut over a wooden sound-box. If exposed to the action of the wind, a succe ion of pleasing sounds proceeds from it, plaintive when the breeze is slight, but bolder as it increases in force. "As an aolian harp through gusty doors Of some old ruin its wild music pours. Long fellow: The Student's Tale "Like an colian harp that wakes No certain air, but overtakes Far thought with music that it makes." Tennyson: Two Voices. Æ-o'-li-an (2), Æ-ol-ic, a. [Lat. Æolius , Æolicus ; Gr. Αιόλιος ( ΑAiolios ), Αιολικός ( Aiolikos ) = pertaining to Eolia, or Æolis.] Æolic dialect : One of the three great dialects of the Greek language, the others being the Doric and the Ionic. The expre ion Attic dialect often occurs, but this should be regarded as the normal type of Greek rather than as a divergent dialect of that tongue. Æolic digamma : A letter similar in character and sound to the letter F. It is so called because the Æolians used to prefix it to certain words beginning with a vowel, and insert it between vowels in the middle of words. It does not appear as a letter of the ordinary cla ical Greek alphabet. Æolic rocks (Gool.): Rocks formed by the action of the wind. Example, sand dunes. They are sometimes called also aërial rocks . Æolic verse , called also Eulogic , Archil och i an and Pindaric verse : A verse consisting of one iambus or spondee, then of two anapests separated by a long syllable, and then another syllable concluding all.