alexandrine

Alexandrine is a feminine given name, formed as a feminine form of Alexander. It has been used across Europe in languages such as French, Danish, German, and Scandinavian tongues. Variants include Alexandrina and Alexandrina/Victoria forms in different cultures. Notable bearers include Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (1879–1952), born Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who became the queen consort of King Christian X of Denmark.

In addition to its use as a given name, Alexandrine denotes a specific metrical form in poetry. An alexandrine is a line of verse typically consisting of twelve syllables. In classical French poetry, the alexandrine is the standard long line and is usually divided by a caesura after the sixth syllable, creating two balanced hemistichs. The form is associated with the grandeur and regulated rhythm of French tragedy and epic, and it influenced later literary traditions. In English-language usage, the term describes a roughly twelve-syllable line as well, used to achieve a formal or elevated cadence, though English lines do not adhere as strictly to the French caesura.

Overall, Alexandrine can refer to a given name with European roots or to a particular length and cadence of verse, most famously the twelve-syllable French line. The two senses are distinct but share the underlying etymology from Alexander.