A. With regard to the number of the syllables, rhymes are divided into three classes, viz.: 1. The =monosyllabic= or =single rhyme= (also called =masculine=), e.g. _hand: land_, _face: grace_. 2. The =disyllabic= or =double rhyme= (also called =feminine=), as _ever: never_, _brother: mother_, _treasure: measure_, _suppression: transgression_; or _owe me: know me_ Shakesp. Ven. and Ad. 523-5; _bereft me: left me_ ib. 439-41. The terms _masculine_ and _feminine_ originated with the Provençal poets and metrists, who were the first among the people of Western Europe to theorize on the structure of the verses which they employed, and introduced these terms in reference to the forms of the Provençal adjective, which were monosyllabic or accented on the last syllable in the masculine, and disyllabic or accented on the last syllable but one in the feminine: _bos-bona_, _amatz-amada_. 3. The =trisyllabic, triple=, or =tumbling rhyme=, called _gleitender_ (i.e. gliding) _Reim_ in German. Of this variety of rhyme, which is less common than the two others, examples are _gymnastical: ecclesiastical_ Byron, Beppo, 3; _quality: liberality_ ib. 30; _láugh of them: hálf of them_ ib. 98. Rhymes like this last, which are made up of more words than two, might, like those given above under the disyllables, such as _owe me: know me_, also form a separate sub-species as =compound rhymes=, as they resemble the broken rhymes (cf. § 217, B. 3) and have, like these, mostly a burlesque effect. § =217.= B. According to the second principle of classification, by the quality of the rhyming syllables, the species of rhyme are as follows: 1. The =rich rhyme= (in French _rime riche_), i.e. two words completely alike in sound but unlike in meaning rhyming with each other. Of this three special cases are possible: _a._ Two simple words rhyming with each other, as _londe_ (inf.)_: londe_ (noun) K. Horn, 753-4; _armes_ (arms)_: armes_ (weapons) Chaucer, Compleynt of Mars, ll. 76-7; _steepe_ (adj.)_: steepe_ (inf.) Spenser, F. Q. I. i. 39; _sent_ (perf.)_: sent_ (_=scent_, noun) ib. 43; _can_ (noun); _can_ (verb) ib. I. iv. 22, &c. In the earlier Modern English poetry we find many rhymes of this class between words that are alike or similar in sound, but of different spelling, as _night: knight_, _foul: fowl_, _gilt: guilt_, _hart: heart_, &c. (cf. Ellis, 'Shakespere's Puns' in _Early Engl. Pron._ iii. 920, iv. 1018). _b._ A simple and a compound word rhyming together, as _leue: bileue_ K. Horn, 741-2; _like: sellike_ Sir Tristr. 1222-4; _ymake: make_ Wright's Spec. of Lyr. Poetry, p. 27, ll. 16-18; _apart: part_ Spenser, F. Q. I. ii. 21, _hold: behold_ ib. I. iii. 40; here also identity of sound and difference of spelling is possible, as _renew: knew_ ib. I. iii. 25. _c._ Two compound words rhyming together, as _recorde: accorde_ Chaucer, C. T. Prol. 828-9; _affirmed: confirmed_ Wyatt, p. 98; _expeld: compeld_ Spenser, F. Q. I. i. 5.