_=f=ḗðe-géstum =f=lét ínnanweard._ Beow. 1977. § =19. The secondary accent.= The secondary or subordinate accent is of as great importance as the chief or primary accent in determining the rhythmical character of the alliterative line. It is found in the following classes of words: (i) In all compounds of noun + noun, or adjective + noun, or adjective + adjective, the second element of the compound has the subordinate accent, e.g. _hēah-sètl, gū́ð-rinc, hríng-nèt, sṓð-fæ̀st_. Syllables with this secondary accent are necessary in certain cases as links between the arsis and thesis, as in forms like _þégn Hrṓðgà̄res_ (–́ | –́ ×̀ ×) or _fýrst fórð gewà̄t_ (–́ | –́ × ̀). (ii) In proper names like _Hrṓðg[`=a]r_, _Bḗowùlf_, _Hýgel[`=a]c_, this secondary accent may sometimes count as one of the four chief metrical accents of the line, as in _=b=éornas on =b=láncum þǣr wæs =B=éowúlfes._ Beow. 857. contrasted with _=é=orl Béowùlfes =é=alde lā́fe._ Beow. 797. (iii) When the second element has ceased to be felt as a distinct part of the compound, and is little more than a suffix, it loses the secondary accent altogether; as _hlā́ford_, _ǣ́ghwylc_, _ínwit_, and the large class of words compounded with -_līc_ and _sum_. _þæt he =H=éardrḗde =h=lā́ford wǣ́́re._ Beow. 2375. wǣ́re. _=l=úfsum and =l=ī́ðe =l=ḗofum monnum._ Cri. 914. (iv) In words of three syllables, the second syllable when long and following a long root-syllable with the chief accent, has, especially in the early stage of Old English, a well-marked secondary accent: thus, _ǣ́rèsta_, _ṓðèrra_, _sémnìnga_, _éhtènde_; the third syllable in words of the form _ǽðelìnga_ gets the same secondary accent. This secondary accent can count as one of the four rhythmic accents of the line, e.g. _þā =ǣ́=réstan =ǣ́=lda cýnnes._ Gū. 948. _=s=ígefolca =s=wḗg oð þæt =s=émnínga._ Beow. 644. Words of this class, not compounded, are comparatively rare, but compounds with secondary accent are frequent. These second syllables with a marked secondary accent in the best examples of Old English verse mostly form by themselves a member of the verse, i.e. are not treated as simple theses as in certain compositions of later date, e.g. _dȳ́gelra gescéafta._ Creat. 18. _ā́genne brðor._ Metr. ix. 28. (v) After a long root-syllable of a trisyllabic word a short second syllable (whether its vowel was originally short or long) may bear one of the chief accents of the line, e.g. _bōcère_, _bíscòpe_: _þǣr bíscéopas and bṓcéras._ An. 607. or may stand in the thesis and be unaccented, as _gódes bísceope þā spræc gū́ðcýning._ Gen. 2123. This shows that in common speech these syllables had only a slight secondary accent. (vi) Final syllables (whether long or short) are as a rule not accented even though a long root-syllable precede them.