A section, stanza, or division of a poem or song, particularly in Middle English verse and ballads, roughly equivalent to a verse or canto.
From Old English 'fit,' meaning a section of a poem, related to the concept of 'fitting together' pieces of verse, possibly from Proto-Germanic roots related to proper arrangement or sequence.
Medieval poets marked fyttes to show where listeners could take breaks during long recitations—it's basically the original act structure for epic poems, helping traveling bards memorize and perform works like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
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