3. Greek and Latin Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms
Where the spelling of a term in the Old Norse sources differs from that of medieval Latin, the Latin word is given first, and the Old Norse equivalent is supplied in roman type within parentheses. Explanations relate to the usage of the terms within the Old Norse sources.
ab actu (ON af gerð ‘by deed’), an epitheton of the type extrinsecus in which an adjective arising from deeds is used
ab animo (ON af ǫnd ‘by the spirit’), a type of antonomasia in which a word for a non-physical attribute replaces a proper name; also a type of epitheton in which a characterising adjective referring to the mind is used
ab euentu (ON af atburð ‘by event’), an epitheton of the type extrinsecus in which an adjective relating to an event is used
a corpore (ON af líkam ‘by the body’), a type of antonomasia in which a word for a physical attribute replaces a proper name; also a type of epitheton in which a adjective characterising the body is used
acyrologia, incorrect lexical use of a word
allegoria, conveying a meaning other than the literal sense of the words used
a loco (ON af stað ‘by place’), an epitheton of the type extrinsecus in which an adjective relating to place is used
amphibolia (‘amphibologia’), ambiguity of diction
amplificatio, a generic term for various types of amplifications of speech
anadiplosis, linkage of the end of one stanza to the beginning of another
anaphora, the repetition of the same word at the beginning of each line
anastrophus (‘anatropa’, ‘anastropha’), the inversion of word order
antanaclassis or anticlasis (‘aclacassis’), the denotation of opposite meanings with the same words
anthropospathos (‘antropuspatos’), the assignment of human qualities to a deity
anticlasis, see antanaclassis
antimetabola (‘ansimehisa’), the use of words of obscure signification in order to change the sense (the Latin figure refers to the rearrangement of words in two clauses to bring about a change of meaning)
antiphrasis (‘antifrasis’), a rhetorical figure in which a single noun means the opposite of its lexical sense
antipophora (‘antiposora’), a rhetorical figure in which a man responds to those things that another man prepares himself to charge him with at the assembly, and stands up ready to declare the case, but does not speak (the Latin figure involves making an anticipated response to a tacit objection)
antiptosis (‘antitosus’), the deliberate alteration of number, case or tense
antitheton (‘antiteton’), the separation of words constituting a clause within a stanza so that the first words and the last go together and constitute a complete utterance
antonomasia, the use of a common noun for a proper noun; see also the three types ab animo, a corpore and extrinsecus
apocope, the loss of letters or syllables from the end of a word
aposiopasis (‘aposiopesis’), a kind of reticence brought about by strong feelings on the part of the orator resulting in the omission of implicit words
apostropha, an exclamatory address, often to an absent or imaginary person or thing
asyndeton or dialyton (‘dialiton’), the omission of a conjunction
barbarismus, licensed incorrect or non-standard pronunciation or spelling of words either by addition, deletion, exchange or transposition of sounds or letters
bethgraphia, the description of, or reference to, a house (with the first element beth- from Hebrew beth ‘house’), apparently unattested elsewhere
brachilogia, see oliopomenon
cacemphaton (‘cacenphaton’), an ill-sounding expression
cacosyntheton (‘cacosintheton’), faulty juxtaposition of words
catachresis (‘cathacresis’), inappropriate use of one word for another, particularly in metaphors
chronographia (‘cronographía’), the specification of the point of time at which an event occurred, chronological record
climax or gradatio, a rhetorical figure which leads each sentence from another by equal steps (the Latin figure refers to an arrangement of ideas in order of increasing importance or emphasis)
collisiones, the juxtaposition of two syllables containing harsh consonants or the occurrence of the same syllable at the end of one word and the beginning of the next
cosmographia (‘cosmographía’), the description of the world
dialyton (‘dialiton’), see asyndeton
efflexigesis (‘exflexigesis’), the explanation or clearer exposition of things previously mentioned
ekbasis (‘ebasis’), a departure from the subject-matter, digression
ellipsis (‘eclipsis’), the omission of a word
emphasis, the use of a substantive entity instead of a moveable entity, such as mentioning a quality of a man instead of the man himself
epanalepsis (‘eparalemsis’), the same beginning and end to a line or stanza
epenthesis, the insertion of a vowel or a syllable in the middle of a word so that it conforms to metre
epimone (‘epimenon’), various types of repetition of words at the beginnings, in the middle or at the ends of lines
epitheton (‘epiteton’), epithet, a characterising adjective, placed before a proper noun
epizeuxis (‘epizeusis’), the repetition of a word
euphemismos, the replacement of a less prestigious with a more prestigious word
euphonia, the alteration of speech sounds to make them more pleasing to the ear
exallage, a difference in number between the noun subject and its verb
extrinsecus (ON fyrir útan ǫnd ok líkam ‘extrinsic to mind or body’), a type of antonomasia in which a proper name is replaced by an extrinsic comparison, e.g. the person’s circumstances; also a type of epitheton in which a characterising adjective extrinsic to mind and body is used, and which is subdivided into the three categories ab actu, ab euentu and a loco, see s.v.
gradatio, see climax
hendiadys (‘endiadís’), the separation of a single indivisible entity into two separate entities or the combination of two separate entities into one
homoeoptoton (‘omocopton’), a rhetorical figure which holds together different words in a clause by means of the same case
homoeoteleuton (‘omolemiton’), the repetition of syllables with the same ending
homopatia (‘antopazia’), a rhetorical figure in which two things are joined together in such a way that one does what the other does
homophesis (‘emophasis’), explanation of an obscure thing by something equally obscure or more obscure
hypallage (‘ypallage’), exchange of the natural relations of two words in a statement
hyperbaton (‘yperbaton’), the alteration of the usual word order
hyperbole (‘yperbola’), the exaggeration of truth beyond that which is believable
hypozeuxis (‘ypozeusis’), the use of many verbs with a single subject
icon, the comparison between two persons or their characteristics
ironia, irony, meaning the opposite of what is intended
jotacismus, the positioning of the glide [j] before, after or between vowels
litotes (‘liptota’), understatement, in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite
macrologia, a long sentence containing matter irrelevant to the subject at hand
metaphora, metaphor, the transfer of words or things into another meaning
metaplasmus, transformation of correct speech or writing for stylistic reasons, i.e. the alteration of a word by the addition, deletion or transposition of syllables
metathesis (‘metatesis’), the transposition of letters
metonymia (‘metanomie’), metonymy, the substitution of a word referring to an attribute or adjunct for the whole thing that is meant
mytacismus (‘moytacismus’), the placement of <m> between two vowels (in Latin the term refers to where <m> occurs at the end of a word followed by a word starting in a vowel or <m>)
oliopomenon (‘onopomenon’) or brachilogia, the use of few words in order to tell great stories
onomatopoeia (‘omotopeion’), a noun made from sound, i.e. imitating a sound
parabola, the reference to one entity in terms of another dissimilar one
paradigma, the juxtaposition of entities which are afterwards distinguished in form
parhomoeon (‘paranomeon’), the repetition of the same initial letter in several words, i.e. alliteration
paronomasia, the juxtaposition of words with similar sounds but dissimilar meanings
pars pro toto, ‘part for whole’, a figure of speech in which part of something is used to refer to the whole thing
perissologia (‘perisologia’), the superfluous addition of words
pleonasmos, a syllable, word, or phrase that is superfluous
prolepsis (‘prolemsis’), the anticipation of multiple things which are later recorded singly
prosopopoeia (‘prosopophía’), a rhetorical figure in which a lifeless thing is addressed by a person or the other way around, or two inanimate entities address one another
prothesis (‘próthesis’), the addition of a letter or syllable to the beginning of a word, a type of metaplasmus
sarcasmos, sarcasm, malevolent and unfriendly mockery
schemata lexeos (‘scemalexeos’), ornamentation of language or speech
schesis onomaton (‘scesisonomaton’), the succession of several clauses which consist of nouns in the same cases
soloecismus (‘soluecismus’), grammatical irregularity, e.g. change of tense, or plural used in place of singular
syllepsis (‘silemsis’), a rhetorical figure in which one item represents several of the same kind
synacrismos (‘simatrismos’), the union of praise and faults in one stanza or more in Old Norse and in one chapter or verse in Latin
synaloephe (‘sínalimphe’), the omission of a vowel
synchysis (‘sinthesis’), the confusion of word order, a type of hyperbaton
synecdoche, a figure of speech in which a semantically narrower term is substituted for a broader one, or vice versa
synepthesis (‘sineptesis’), an inappropriate exchange of either grammatical number or person
systole (‘sistola’), the shortening of a long syllable
tautologia (‘tantologia’), the variation of what has been said before
teretema (‘therethema’), a rhetorical figure in which a series of questions about the same thing is asked and replied to in the same fashion
tmesis (‘temesis’, ‘themesis’), the separation of a word or compound into two parts, with another word or words between them
topographia (‘tophographia’), the description of, or reference to, a specific place
versus dissoni, a discordant verse
zeugma (‘zeuma’), a rhetorical figure in which a word or phrase belongs to more than one part of the sentence