motif

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motif,

in music: see motivemotive
or motif
, in music, a short phrase or passage of two or more notes and repeated or elaborated throughout the composition. The term is usually used synonymously with figure.
..... Click the link for more information. .

motif

(mōtēf`), in literature, term that denotes the recurrent presence of certain character types, objects, settings, or situations in diverse genres and periods of folklore and literature. Examples of motifs include swords, money, food, jewels, forests, oceans, castles, dungeons, tests of skill or wisdom, journeys, separations and reunions, chaos brought to order. Motifs are not restricted to literature. Hans von Wolzogen coined the term leitmotiv [Ger.,=guiding motive] to describe Richard Wagner's use of a recurring musical phrase to reinforce the emotional impact of characters, situations, and themes in his operas. The visual arts often rely on motifs to communicate deeper levels of meaning: The bison and deer painted on the walls of the caves at Lascaux represent both threat and survival, superior strength or speed, and food supply; the endlessly rocking cradle in D. W. Griffith's film Intolerance suggests rebirth and the inescapable frailties of the human condition (see symbolsymbol,
sign representing something that has an independent existence. The most important use of symbols is in language. To say so, however, does not solve the perennial philosophical questions as to the nature of the linguistic sign.
..... Click the link for more information. ; archetypearchetype
[Gr. arch=first, typos=mold], term whose earlier meaning, "original model," or "prototype," has been enlarged by C. G. Jung and by several contemporary literary critics.
..... Click the link for more information. ).

Motif

A part or element repeated in an ornamental design.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Motif

in literature, the simplest unit of meaning in myths and tales, which cannot be further divided, for example, the motif of the abduction of the bride. A combination of several motifs constitutes the plot (fabula) or story (siuzhet). There are often similar motifs in the epics of different nations. Folklore motifs may also be used in later periods.

In modern literature, motifs are the simplest units of story (siuzhet) development: they may be dynamic, moving the plot (fabula) forward, or static and descriptive but indispensable for the story (siuzhet). The significance of a motif depends not on its own meaning but rather on its role in the artistic structure.

motif

A principal repeated element in an ornamental design.

motif

1. a distinctive idea, esp a theme elaborated on in a piece of music, literature, etc.

2. a recurring form or shape in a design or pattern

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Motif

The standard graphical user interface and window manager from OSF, running on the X Window System.

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

Motif

The graphical user interface (GUI) endorsed by the Open Software Foundation. Motif became the standard graphical interface for Unix workstations. Although it is still used, numerous other graphical interfaces have become more popular (see KDE and GNOME). See Open Group.

The Motif GUI

For several years, Motif was the de facto standard graphical interface in the Unix world. (Screen shot courtesy of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.)

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References in periodicals archive ?

"There is this idea that has persevered, which is that the TFs bind almost identical motifs between humans and fruit flies," says Hughes, who is also a professor in U of T's Department of Molecular Genetics and Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Genes Could Hold Key to How Humans Evolved

First, many mythological motifs remain stable over time and are easily identifyable in similar complex stories at long distances (e.g.

A LARGE-SCALE STUDY OF WORLD MYTHS

Prediction of Functional group in the OGG1 protein D1 and D2 structures: Based on the eukaryotic motif resources and putative functional sites, protein functional sites can be predicted based on expression patterns.

PREDICTION OF OGG1 STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL MOTIFS WITH ACTIVE BINDING SITES FROM CAMELUS DROMEDARIES

* Embroider 14 square motifs, four corners and 10 border motifs.

unique technique: Faux Crochet

He says: "In the arts of the final years of the Sassanians, and the early centuries of Islam, we witness certain indications of symbiotic relationship between the cypress and the boteh suggesting that this ancient motif has emerged from the cypress."

Of paisley, Persepolis and paradise

To spark interest and help students develop a motif design, dozens of examples of type styles (and different kinds of letters) are available, and students narrow down their letter choices, preferably two styles for each initial.

My initials as art

The result suggests that carvings with floral motif were popular for both openings and wall panels.

ASSESSING AESTHETICS PREFERENCES OF MALAY WOOD CARVED PANELS

The second category still regards CRMs as sets of motif sites but directly or indirectly constrains the order and distance of motif sites within CRMs based on phylogenetic conservation.

A New Algorithm for Identifying Cis-Regulatory Modules Based on Hidden Markov Model

Select a flower or motif printed on the fabric for the brooch base.

Brooches in bloom

Motif formations are exposed in the front projection in each district.

Rural women artists: a visual analysis of the mural art forms of Santhal Pargana, Jharkhand, India

Long-term antiviral therapy with LAM may lead to drug resistance, which is associated with a mutation in tyrosine-methionine-aspartic acid-aspartic acid (YMDD) motif of the reverse transcriptase in HBV-DNA genome.

Natural YMDD motif mutations in treatment naive patients with chronic hepatitis B in Huzhou of eastern China